For A Friend
by Eboni
Summary: An in depth retelling of Gaiden, and its devasting aftermath. Five ropes of friendship are being tested for their strength and endurance. What would you do for a friend?
1. Episode 1

  


**Hi, I don't know if anybody's going to remember me. I used to go by the pen name Danae Amadeus. Well that got tiring, and I decided to g back to using my regular pen name like I do for all my other things. Anyway, I finally figured out my password for fanfiction.net again (yay!) So I thought I'd reintroduce myself by posting a new story, and for anybody who's waiting for the conclusion of A Touch Of Silver, I'm working on it ;) Thanks for reading this, and please review...good or bad, I except anything. Take care!**  
  


Disclaimer: I don't know anybody, and they don't know me.   
  


For A Friend  


EPISODE 1  
  


"Well I still think they're creepy looking. Ya know, not the color so much as the expression in them," Kento was saying to Cye and Ryo. 

"After a year you're still afraid of his eyes," Cye giggled. 

"His eyes and his manner," Kento shrugged. "You can't tell me he doesn't disturb you sometimes too. Knowing too much about a situation we just stepped into, always the first one to see a trap... saying exactly what's on your mind when even you didn't know."

"Kento, you're being silly!" Ryo laughed, "Sage is not that weird!"

"He is so," Kento insisted. "You can't say that when those big grey eyes are peering at you full focus you don't flinch a bit."

"I can't flinch. I'm the leader, I'm not supposed to be intimidated by you guys..."

"What about the eyes of steel?"

"They can't intimidate me either, and if they do, I can't show it."

"So you admit it!"

"I do not! Admit to what?"

"Being afraid of 'the eyes,'" Kento smirked. "But ya know it's ok. 'The eyes' scare you, Cye and I got your back."

"Unless he looks at us too... Those eyes are creepy," Cye said, then laughed. "Kento you are so silly!" He gazed towards the stairs, "And what are those two up to? I called that breakfast was ready almost 15 minutes ago."

"Sage is probably trying to wake Rowen up still. That boy sleeps like the dead."

"Maybe 'the eyes' killed him!"

"Kento, you..." Cye was interrupted by the voices on the stairs. Rowen and Sage were making their way down. Rowen still rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning, and Sage damp from a shower after a morning workout. They spoke softly to one another, thoroughly engaged in the conversation they were holding. Sage and Rowen were a team, they'd become quick friends after their initial meeting. 

Cye Mouri, Ryo Sanada, Kento Rei-Fuan, Sage Date, and Rowen Hashiba were the owners of the mythical Ronnin Armors that were destined to save the world from peril. They had each found their armors separately, and trained independently until they were called to fight. When they had come together for the first time to battle the evil Dynasty, Sage and Rowen proved to be the thinkers of the group, both coming from similar childhoods of being quiet intellectual loners. They were the most mature, having both lived in worlds where children had to grow up fast. They were similar, but yet so different. Where Sage worshiped the day, Rowen worshiped the night. Sage was up with the sun every morning, and down with its settings, when Rowen was the exact opposite. Sage could be the spokesperson for self-control, for person fitness, good manners, and poise, Rowen could be the role model for the slobs of the world, who liked to read fiction, be slothful, state his own opinion as loudly as possible and not shut up until everyone agreed he was right, and bad posture.

"Good morning you two, what took so long?" Cye greeted them both. He, Ryo, and Kento had already eaten. The plates of the two tardy warriors sat side by side untouched and growing chilly. 

"Rowen wouldn't get up," Sage shrugged. He walked straight to the pantry to grab a couple of tea bags. He usually picked the morning flavor for himself and Rowen. He gazed at Ryo, Kento, and Cye in passing, "Talking about me this morning were you?"

Ryo, Kento, and Cye all paused in what they were doing, their eyes going wide and their jaws slack. Sage studied them all shortly before disappearing into the pantry. 

Rowen laughed looking at all their faces, "You know, he doesn't actually know these things... He just makes statements and judging from your startled reactions, he can guess if he was right or not. You give him too much credit."

Sage reappeared holding two bags of tea, dangling them for Rowen's approval of the flavor. Rowen nodded, and Sage went about brewing the tea.

"So, what are everyone's plans for the next month?" Rowen asked sitting down at the table, and looking down at his plate to see what was for breakfast.

"I'm going back packing, but you all know this," Ryo said with a sigh. He loved nature, and embraced it whenever he got the chance.

"Mother and I are going on a little sight seeing trip. She wants me to see more of England," Cye said. His mother was an English woman, and felt it was her duty to show Cye the other half of his heritage. 

Kento grinned at Rowen, and leaned back in the kitchen chair leaving only two of its legs on the floor, "Well you know me, I'm just going back home, for some good old fashioned home cooking... And of course, to play the numbers. The Old Man's been playing the Lottery again, and to keep me from telling Mama, he takes a few numbers from me and buys me a few tickets too."

"Awww Kento, what's the use of playing a game like that? You know you're not going to get anything. Might as well just save your money, and don't get your hopes up," Cye said. "Besides, isn't gambling illegal for minors?"

"No one has to know the tickets are for me," Kento chuckled, "and besides, what do you mean I can't win?"

"Those things are so picky. Do you know anybody who's won?"

"What's that got to do with anything..."

"Well it..."

"Actually, he's got a point. Knowing people who have won have nothing to do with it. It's a question of probability," Rowen said. "There's an equal chance for anyone who enters to win money."

"You see there!"

"Yes, the whole thing's just random numbers. It's hard to rig something like that," Sage said setting down Rowen's teacup in front of him, then sitting at his own respective seat beside him with his tea.

"And what would you know about gambling Sage? I'd hardly think Sensei Date would stand for any grandson of his to be gambling," Cye teased, bringing about one of Sage's rare smiles.

"No, he wouldn't. He'd skin my hide if he knew I was even talking about it, or thinking it," Sage said lightly.

"So are you anxious to get home Sage? Ready to get back to family life?" Ryo asked.

Sage nodded, his smile deepening. Smiling was a rare expression to be found on the blond's face, but when it was it practically made the room smile with it. He was an extremely attractive boy, with an irresistible charm that he sometimes didn't even know he possessed. He always underestimated the power of his smile, "Yes, I cannot wait to get home and see my family, even Yayoi I will hug."

"Looking forward to doing all those chores, and morning sessions too?" Rowen asked sipping his tea. 

"Of course. I don't see why you won't come and spend at least a week in Sendai with me. My family loves you..."

"Oh no, there is no way I'm going back to that nut house," Rowen said affectionately. He loved Sage's family, they were the family he never had, but they were just too busy for him to be around all the time. "Can't sleep in, because you got a crazy old man poking you with a stick, 'Get up, get up, don't sleep your life away!' Open your eyes, it's still dark....I mean the sun is still sleeping for crying out loud! Sensei Date wants me to join Sage running sprints...in the dark. I'm stumbling down the stairs thinking only weirdos are up at this insane hour, and I smell breakfast cooking, and hear voices. The whole damn family is up.... and making food no less! Who can think of food that early? Your stomach is still asleep. And oooh...don't think you can go back to sleep and come back down later for breakfast...noooo! By then breakfast has been put away, 'No pancakes for lazy boy!' And those pancakes....mmmmmmn... to die for," Rowen purred remembering the taste of Sage's mother's pancakes. Sage laughed and hit Rowen over the head, "Shut up! You know you like it at my house!"

"Yeah, yeah... But anyway Dreamer, you know I'm going to Astronomy camp. I'm gonna spend my month studying the stars and planets."

"Ugh, school is out, and this guy wants to study!" Kento snorted in disgust. "And you want to do chores and wake up early. You two are mega-weird!" 

Both Sage and Rowen rolled their eyes and started poking at their lukewarm meals.

"You want me to heat those us for you?" Cye asked.

"I'll do it," Sage waved Cye's offer, and picked up his and Rowen's plates. 

"So Ryo... next time we see you, you'll be sweet 16," Kento nudged Ryo with his elbow. Ryo beamed, "Yeah, I'm getting old, huh?"

"Yeah Pops," Cye laughed, "Lets not forget I've been 16 for months now."

"Oh we haven't forgotten Pops," Kento chuckled.

"Hey you turn 16 a few weeks after Ryo, remember?" Rowen pointed out. "Then it'll be Sage's turn... I'm the baby."

"Shut up Ro!"

"So what are you gonna do for your birthday Ryo?"

"Oh I don't know... I hope Mia will be back for it though. I think she told me she would be there. Maybe we can go out and see a movie. You guys could come down too!"

"Yeah, that'd be great man," a secret look was passed around the table over Ryo's head. 

"I look forward to it then," Ryo smiled. Being an orphan, and living on in Mia's manor alone when the others went home, left him feeling empty. He'd never really had birthday parties. 

"So do we, Ryo, old buddy. So do we. You think Yulie will come too?"

"Oh yeah, of course."

"Great. We'll make a real birthday blow out, out of it then," Cye said. He smirked, a birthday blow out indeed.  
  


"SURPRISE!!" Ryo blinked as he stepped off the elevator and confetti struck him in the face. He supposed he should have known, arriving at an alias location by mysterious invitation, wearing his best suit, he should have been prepared! He beamed at all of his friends laughing faces, laughing himself when everyone pulled him in for a hug. Mia, Yulie, and White Blaze were even in attendance. He had been wondering where his pet tiger had headed off to... 

He marveled at the extravagance of the building. They were in a pent house suite with large windows for walls giving the extraordinary view of the city at night. He laughed as Mia popped the cork on some cider and it fizzed onto the wooden floor much to her dismay. She handed Ryo a glass, and poured some of the bubbling liquid into it. "Happy 16th birthday Ryo," she said with a smile.

"Wow," was all Ryo could say for a very long time. His friends were all dressed in their best, guiding him to a large table with a feast set upon it fit for a king. "I...I don't know what to say," he stammered. He didn't want to cry, that would be too girly. But he'd never had a real birthday party before. "How....How did you pay for all of this?"

It was Cye's turn to laugh then, "Remember me ragging on Kento about playing the lottery?"

"Yeah."

"Well the fool actually won! And he won big time!"

"Three million smackers, baby!" Kento boasted. "I am rich, rich, rich!" He stuck his tongue out at Cye. "Anything you want tonight Ryo, baby, anything, it's yours!"

"At the rate he's spending, he'll be broke, broke, broke, again by the end of next week," Cye proclaimed with a chuckle. Kento glared at him, and threw a look towards the door with a frown. 

It was at that moment that Ryo realized Sage was not in the room with them, "Where's Sage?"

Kento shrugged, "I haven't talked to him in a while, but last time we spoke...he was supposed to come."

Rowen tried to laugh it off, "You know him, when it comes to social events, he's always fashionably late. He'll be here in a little while, I bet." He frowned a little before patting Ryo's back, "Wait until you see what I got for you buddy! Straight from the moon this rare piece of rock is..."

"You got him a freakin' rock man?" Kento pushed his nose into Ryo and Rowen's conversation.

"It's a moon rock!" Rowen growled. 

"Wait til you see what I got ya!" Kento bragged, tugging on his sports coat.

Not to be undone Cye soon chimed in about his gift. Mia and Yulie watched them in amusement , before Yulie finally asked, "Can we bring out the cake yet?"

"Sage still isn't here!"

"Oh well, he should have gotten here on time if he wanted cake. He'll learn his lesson when he shows up and it's all gone," Kento chuckled. "Yeah Yulie, we can bring out the cake!"

They sat happily, stomachs full of good food and sweets, sipping sweet cider while they talked about their months away, and admired the midnight view of the city. 

"This is the best birthday I've ever had," Ryo said, his voice soft with the emotion he was trying to hold back. These people were his family, the one he thought he didn't have. 

"It's nothing man," Kento said giving him a lazy smile. "It's the least we can do."

"I guess Sage isn't gonna show up after all," Yulie stated bluntly. So bluntly that Ryo blinked, "Well...maybe something came up."

"He could have at least called..."

"Maybe something important came up, I mean isn't he coming from out of the country? I thought he mentioned something about going to New York last time we spoke," Ryo said softly, he didn't want anything ruining his moment. He relaxed and had another sip of cider, and listened to another one of Cye's tales. Kento rolled his eyes at Cye beginning another story and turned on the television that was mounted on the wall in front of the table, he began flipping through the channels looking for a sporting event. Ryo made him stop on the news... He frowned as he stood to move closer to the screen, "Turn up the volume would you?"

"... another string of murders. Police and investigators are stumped as to what this mysterious killer is. Here is a picture taken from a reporter's camcorder while recording another story. Assuming the time and the filmed place it is surely the murder site."

A clip was shown briefly, then enhanced to show a green Samurai armor...bearing the symbols of Halo. It was a Ronnin armor! "Hey isn't that...?"

"Shhhh!" 

"There are no leads to the whereabouts of whoever the killer is. Citizens are warned to stay inside after dark, until the killer is in custody..."

"That was Halo," Rowen said staring at the screen.

"Killing, it's killing people. You don't think Sage has lost it do you?"

"Sage? Sage Date? Come on, yeah right! There has to be something else... We'll call his parents, they have to know where he is."  
  


The armor of Halo would never behave in that manner... what the hell happened to Sage in New York? He'd gone to Columbia University on family business. It seemed the University had come into possession of an ancient sword that could be from the Date Clan judging from its crest. Sage had been sent by his grandfather to look at it, since he was the sword expert. Sage had left more than a week before. His parents none-the-less had been shocked to hear that no one had heard from him since he left. They were not ones to worry though, like Sage they were cool winds, and simply suggested that perhaps Sage decided to seek out some of his American cousins, maybe an aunt or uncle and was staying with them for a while. Sage's mother was a North American woman, which is where he inherited his blond hair, grey eyes, and fair skin. 

He would have called... Ryo knew that for certain, after seeing that news report, and knowing that he hadn't been seen or heard from in more than a week, Ryo decided to take action. If all was well, and he really was jumping to conclusions, maybe it wasn't really Halo he saw, and maybe Sage was with family, he didn't want to drag the others into it. He saw no need to trouble them after the wonderful party they had thrown for him. 

He sat back in his seat on the plane thumbing through the pages of The New York Post, thinking about all of it. The seat belt signal came on, and Ryo buckled his seatbelt and leaned back in his chair. He was closing his eyes when he heard, "You know, if you had told me you were planning a trip to New York, I could have sprung for us to ride first class." 

Ryo's eyes snapped open to view Kento peering over the seat in front of him. 

"Trying to vacation without us?" Cye asked appearing beside Kento. "Mia told us what you're up to." 

Ryo laughed, "I just didn't want to send you all on a wild goose chase with me!"

"Hey, goose chases are fun!" Kento jeered, then he sobered, "And we're worried about Sage too, Ryo."

" Something's not right," Cye breathed.

Ryo shook his head, "No, something isn't."

"You bet your sweet hiney it isn't! Where are my honey roasted peanuts?! Kento began to ring for a flight attendant, laughing when everyone rolled their eyes at him. "None for you then!"  
  


"I'm glad you told us what was going on Mia," Yulie said still gazing up at the tall buildings making up his surroundings. "If you hadn't we would have thought Ryo had disappeared too!"

"Ah, you know Ryo takes so much responsibility for you and us. He didn't want us involved..."

"Yeah, but if something stole Sage's armor, and apparently him as well, then he really shouldn't be alone," Rowen spoke. Ever practical Rowen, always seeming to think about only strategies, and the logical reasoning behind motives. He never voiced that he was scared to death that Ryo might disappear as Sage seemingly had. He also failed to mention his guilt... Sage had invited him to stay with him at his home. If Rowen had just gone, perhaps he would have accompanied Sage on his trip here, he could have helped!

Mia held tight to Yulie's hand as she, Yulie, and Rowen approached their destination, the news station that had aired the clip of Halo running rampant. "Yulie, stick close to me okay, no running off," Mia said to the little boy as soon as she let go of his hand. Yulie nodded, and walked beside Rowen.

They stopped at the head secretary's desk, "Excuse us, we were trying to figure how to get in contact with the reporter that sent in the live footage of the Samurai armor? Is he in today?"

The male secretary stared at the Japanese visitors, and frowned. "I know what you're talking about...here let me look.." He whirled around in his office chair to face his computer. He typed in a few words and hit "search." He hummed, and ah'ed for a few minutes before turning back around in his chair, "The reporter you wish to see is actually a free-lance photographer and cameraman. He doesn't actually work here, he just submitted the piece. Sorry that news report was a little misleading."

"Damn," Rowen uttered under his breath. Ok, calm down,, there had to be something else they could do.

"Do you have his name, his address?" Mia asked, not missing a beat. "Any of that information would be extremely useful to us."

"Of course," the man nodded, "but I'm afraid I cannot distribute that information."

"What? But it's important! We've come all the way from Japan to...to find this person. Our friend's life...er...I... Please, sir. We're not bad people, ok. We don't want to steal from or harass the man, we just want to talk to him," Rowen leaned across the desk.

The secretary frowned and chewed his lower lip, "I'm not allowed to dispense that information..."

"We wouldn't tell anyone," Mia leaned in, batting her eyes seductively. The man blinked and adjusted his collar, "Um... well, I'll write it down, but then you leave."

"Thank you," Mia purred, smiling as the man quickly jotted down the address. They left the building promptly.

"Ok, guys. I'll go check this address out, while you head over to Columbia to see what you can find out about Sage there."

"Rowen, maybe we shouldn't split up..." 

"There's too much ground to cover Mia..."

"And I think you're just getting impatient," Mia spoke sharply. "We should stick together."

"I'll only be gone for a little while, I'll meet back up with you in an hour! Please Mia, you don't know how I feel," Rowen sighed, he looked up at the sun in the middle of the sky, the sun Sage worshiped. Could he see it from wherever he was? He'd tried to see if he could reach Sage through their bond. The Ronnin Warriors found out during battle that they could sense when one another was near. He felt a void in the web that was Sage. He could vaguely feel the others, they were approaching, but nothing from Sage, who should be there according to every source they had. Could he be dead? "Mia, I was supposed to stay with him over our break...if I had just gotten over my dislike of waking up early, I would have been with him."

"And you would have disappeared with him too," Mia said back to him, her face and voice softening, "You can't blame yourself for Sage being missing. We'll find him Ro, don't worry so much. Sage is strong warrior, he can hold his own until help arrives." She sighed, "But if it will really make you feel better, you can go. But set your watch, you will meet us, in this spot, in an hour, ok?"

Rowen nodded gratefully, "In an hour! Thanks Mia...oh, and you two be safe!"  
  


"The first thing we should do when we get there is to check in with Rowen, Mia, and Yulie. They're already in New York, they left hours before us. They're going to the news station that showed the report on Halo. And then we have to think about lodging. So we'll have to find a hotel..."

"The Ritz, The Plaza," Kento was rambling off names of fancy hotels they could stay in, "How about..."

"Kento," Cye interjected, "Just how much of your money have you spent already? Maybe you should start trying to save it, invest some! Staying some place within a reasonable price range will not kill you!"

"Oh, but it'll cramp my style..." Kento moaned playfully. "Oh fine, we can stay in some roach motel if you want and slum. I don't mind, but don't think you're going to stifle my nightlife!"

"Kento, you're 15, you don't have a nightlife," Cye said simply.

"Hey three million dollars says I can have whatever I want!" Kento puffed out his chest in pride. "Wine, clubs, clothes..."

"Police, detainment, jail, Mama Fuan," Cye began to chant alongside Kento's listings. Kento stopped mid-listing to glare at Cye, "Ha, ha, Mr. Funny Man." 

"We should be landing soon guys," Ryo interrupted their banter, and as if on cue a flight attendant came to announce that the flight would be landing soon and for everyone to take their seats and buckle their seatbelts. Before she could conclude her announcement the plane was struck by some unseen force. It rocked as it someone had sat upon it and was riding it like a horse. Ryo gazed out of his window in horror only to see a disfigured phantasm hanging onto the wing of the plane. He pulled out a sword and sliced at the plane's wing. Ryo gasped unable to take his eyes away from the scene, even when the phantom vanished. "Ryo what is it?" Cye yelled as he was thrown into the seat in front of him. 

"We're gonna crash!" Kento was shouting. 

"Passengers please be seated and buckle up. We're going to make an emergency landing in the New York Gulf. Remain calm!" Ryo made sure Kento and Cye were strapped to their seats before taking his own and buckling up. He braced himself for impact, gripping the armrest tightly, and saying his prayers. 

The plane hit the water with a splash, skimming the surface like butter and gliding to a stop. "Oh gods... I thought we were going to die..." Kento was muttering letting out his breath. "Phew!!"

"I think my stomach's still up in the air somewhere," Cye was moaning. "Ohh...Ryo? Are you ok?"

"Yeah..yeah I'm fine," Ryo stuttered. His mind was still on the creature he saw outside of the plane. It sounded like a bad horror movie he knew...but he had really seen the thing. 

"What were you looking at out there man?"

"I..you...would have had to see it," Ryo was shaking his head. "This was no ordinary plane crash... that thing attacked the plane. It stared right at me, I think it wanted us or something."

"Thing? It?"

"You had to have seen it," Ryo shuddered. 

"That ugly huh?" Kento questioned, when Ryo didn't answer he nodded, "Of course...and let me guess, we gotta fight it. Looking forward to it. So...ah...how are they gonna get us out of this flying death trap?"

Moments later Kento was being instructed on how to inflate his seat into a small life raft as an answer to his question, "First class Ryo! We could have been in first class! I bet they have their own life-YACHTS!"

"Shut up Kento!"  
  


"Hello?" Rowen knocked on the door to the small apartment, surprised when it came open at his touch. He cautiously made his way inside, "Hello? I'm Rowen Hashiba, I called you earlier and asked if I could come. I wanted to ask you about your.... WOA!!" He froze in his tracks. The apartment was ransacked, on a clothes line hung still developing pictures of the Halo armor.... but the photographer....was dead. He sat in his big easy chair, as if he had fallen asleep. In fact, Rowen might have believed he had, if it weren't for the large knife protruding from his chest. 

Rowen approached the man slowly to examine him. He touched the hilt of the dagger, it looked familiar, it was... He knew it was stupid, but he had to see, he pulled the wedge from the man's chest to get a better look at it. He heard an loud gasp from behind him that made him jump. He whirled around to see a young woman with long brown hair gawking at him, her eyes full of horror and disgust, "Murderer!"

Murderer? "No...I..."

It was too late she was running away. Rowen stood glued to his spot before throwing down the dagger and running after her. By the time he was outside of the building, the girl was no where to be found. Who had she been, and why had she been following him?

He frowned, then looked down at his watch. He was going to be late in meeting Mia. He shook his head at his failure to discover anything about the whereabouts of his friend, and began his trek back to the news station. Later on they were to go to Kento's uncle's restaurant to wait for the others and have dinner.  
  


"That stupid plane crash ruined all of my best clothes!" Kento was grumbling.

"I didn't see anything particularly great about any of the clothing you packed," Cye chuckled.

"Ah shut up! Anything you wear that you like is your best clothing!" Kento announced, marching boldly in front of Ryo and Cye. "And it's not like you're Mr. Fashionable Cye!"

"I never said I was," Cye said. "Do you actually know where we're going Kento?"

"But of course! China Town, New York, my uncle's restaurant, food... I can find it."

"Now that I can believe," Ryo snorted, as he and Cye trusted Kento to be their guide through the big city. 

"He was dead?" Mia questioned, she paled considerably. "Murdered?"

Rowen nodded. He didn't mention the girl who had seen him at the scene of the crime. "The University?"

"It was so weird. We went to the dean of students, the dean of historical arts, the president of the school board... No one's heard of Sage, or anything about a sword. They didn't call anyone in from Japan. Everyone looked quite puzzled by us..." Mia frowned, "It's like he never existed. We've been tricked."

"You think they're lying?" Yulie asked.

"No...no an entire University has no reason to lie about something like that..."

"Something called Sage's grandfather, tricked him, and lured Sage here," Rowen said firmly. "Did you get in contact with any of his family here?"

"His closest relatives are in New Jersey, and they haven't heard a word from him. Didn't even know he was here," Mia sipped the soft drink in front of her. 

They were sitting at a large table in Kento's uncle's restaurant. They hadn't eaten yet, because they were still waiting for the others. Kento's large uncle bounded up to the table to introduce himself finally. They had arrived at the restaurant and announced who they were and they had been seated immediately with a promise from one of the waiters that Mr. Chin would be there to greet them shortly.

"Hello," the corpulent man spoke, " I am Mr. Chin, Kento's uncle. And you must be his friends...Mia, Rowen, and little Yulie. It is such a pleasure having you all here to dine in my restaurant. It's nice to meet some of my nephews friends, especially the ones he speaks about so often and so warmly. How are you enjoying your trip here?"

Mia smiled, "Oh...it's been an adventure."

Rowen didn't have the heart to raise his head and meet Mr. Chin's eyes. He was afraid he would see through their happy facade. 

"Where are you lodging do you know? I've made provisions for you all to stay here. I have many rooms available for you to bed in."

"Oh no, we're going to book a hotel. We don't want to put you out," Mia said quickly. She didn't like the way he was leering at her. Would he have made the same proposal had it have just been Yulie and Rowen sitting there?

"Oh no, I am a very rich man, I won't be put out at all. You will stay here."

"He's as generous as Kento is with his money," Yulie observed.

"Generous, kind, handsome, debonair, loving..." Kento's loud voice was heard. He stood on the small bridge with Ryo and Cye just behind him. The restaurant was set up to portray a rather impressive garden scene, the bridge was over a small man made stream. Kento looked from Yulie to his uncle to greet him, and glared. "Hey man!" He started towards his uncle, "Mia's like family, ok, so hands and eyes to yourself."

Mia was grateful for Kento's intervention, the man had his clammy hand on her shoulder and was massaging it, "Kento...don't be so rude to your uncle..." 

Kento's eyes met hers, and he acknowledged the silent thank you with a curt nod, "Sorry Uncle Chin. I just don't like people messing with her, is all. I really appreciate you letting us come here, and have dinner... so...what's to eat?"

No one was really able to eat much, but Kento and Yulie that night. Everyone else's minds were too preoccupied with what was going on. They had discussed the happenings of each others' days, and were stumped at what could be causing it all. It all had to be connected somehow! 

Rowen was about to ask Ryo another question about the creature he had seen, when a loud Amazonian cry echoed from the kitchen followed by the retreat of all the kitchen girls. They ran screaming past the table, and the warriors rose to see what the pandemonium was about. A girl came rushing towards them with a sharp dagger in her hands, she leapt onto Rowen with a cry, "MURDERER! You MURDERED my brother!"

Rowen gasped at first, recognizing her as the girl he'd been chasing earlier, then he recovered and tackled her throwing her off him. She was relentless in her attack, and she kept jumping, whirling, and thrusting her knife, trying to drive it into his flesh. Ryo jumped into the fight, being a more experienced knife fighter, and was quick to disarm her with a karate chop. The knife fell to the floor, and the girl gave another enraged shout, "Which one of you DID it? I know one of you killed him! Murderers, all of you!" She fled from the room, her long brown ponytail streaming behind her.

"What the hell was that?" Ryo uttered, catching an angry Kento as he tried to rush passed him. "Did you hear what she freaking said man? She called us murderers! Us!"

"Kento calm down... Think about it? Why would she say that? She's obviously seen and knows something about the Halo armor!"

"But she called us murderers man! As many people as we saved... it burns me up! Somebody's gotta catch and set her straight.." he struggled against Ryo.

"Kento let it be," Cye approached them. "She's upset, you heard what she said... She lost her brother. You'll just scare her if you chase after her like that. Let it be."

"Let it be..." Kento repeated with a sigh, "Fine...fine... but she's ruined what's left of my meal. I've actually lost my appetite."

"And Atlas shrugged," Rowen murmured.  
  


After helping clean up the mess caused by the hostile girl, Mr. Chin called a car that was to take them to his penthouse. There they roomed two to a room, Ryo sharing with Cye, Rowen sharing with Kento, and Mia and Yulie together. The rooms were modest and Ryo didn't feel too uncomfortable sleeping in it. He turned his head to meet Cye's loud suspiration, "You ok?"

Cye shrugged his shoulders, not answering for a while, "I don't know Ryo... This is all just too much to take in. Sage is gone, just vanished...I can't feel him at all in our web. And..."

Ryo nodded, of all the warriors Sage and Cye were the ones most sensitive to disturbances in their web. They were touched as some would say, gifted with a sixth sense. Cye always bragged about how much stronger Sage was when it came to mental capabilities than him, but he was not one to look over himself. For him not to sense anything from Sage had to be devastating, more so than the others. 

"Whoever has him, has him hidden well," Ryo said finally. "But, we'll find him, and bring him home."

"But Ryo...that girl said, well she said the armor killed her brother... and it's killed so many people. What if...what if Sage was taken over by something, something dark. Like the Dynasty, they could do that. He'd be like a Dark Warlord. Then we wouldn't feel him either in our web right?"

Ryo heard the shake in Cye's voice, he wanted comfort, and Ryo felt sorry about not being able to give it to him. He was their leader, but he could do nothing to ease their worry. If anything, his worry intensified. What if they couldn't save Sage, what if what Cye said was true...what if he was dead? Would Ryo have failed him? 

"Ryo?"

"I'm tired Cye," Ryo whispered. He pulled back the blankets on his bed and slid under them. "I... I'm sorry. I don't really feel like talking now. I just want to get some sleep. Tomorrow we have to start this all over again. We need rest for now. Go to sleep."

"But..." Cye paused before taking a breath, "Ok... good night Ryo."

"Good night Cye."  
  


He was in a forest, he could sense it, a black forest with tall trees looming above him, and he was running away from something. He panted heavily and nearly stumbled as his feet left solid ground and splashed into a shallow pond. A voice, what was that voice. It asked him questions, it beckoned him for help. His feet met hard wooden floors, and he heard a door slamming closed behind him. The breeze from the door closing ruffled his hair. 

The cloth bound around his eyes was removed, and it fell away brushing against his nose as it fell to the floor. His grey eyes opened to take in his surroundings. He was in a dojo surrounded by demons and he felt his sword in his hand. Demons slid back the thin walls and were peering at him from the walls, from the ceiling. Disembodied mouths laughed and jeered, flying at him, monster serpents and hideous creatures wound their way towards him, and he struck out, slashing with his sword. 

Suddenly he was in full armor, Halo had come to him and he stood amongst the Sakura blossoms poised for battle. His chest heaved as he waited for more demons to appear and attack. A door opened in front of him, more mouths speaking to him, taunting him, speaking in the voice, asking his questions. 

In a large laboratory a young blond hung with his limbs chained to a metal star. Large headphones covered his ears sending him hypnotic suggestions. IV's ran to and from his body taking away bodily wastes, feeding him, hydrating him, and sedating him heavily. An old man sat at a counsel not too far away from the boy watching his reaction in interest, he spoke into the microphone telling the boy things, asking him questions. 

The boy had been hard to subdue, he had very high will power, and proved to be quite troublesome. He had fought them until the end, taking endless beatings, letting himself be starved and deprived of water and light. He wouldn't fight for them, or tell them how to use it... The secrets of the armor stayed locked inside his stubborn shell, he had to be drugged. That was the last resort, subjects were always wanted conscious and fully aware of their surroundings. When a subject was drugged their perception was altered. The man watched the boy, enjoying his groans of pain and terror, wondering where his mind had taken him. He wasn't sure where the battle ground was, but he was sure the boy was doing battle in his mind. Whenever he was sure he was in battle, and his adrenaline levels went up, the armor that sat in front of the man reacted. He smiled cruelly and whispered something to the boy, grinning deliciously as it seemed to bring the boy great pain to hear it.

He was in a cave, some place dark in shallow cloudy water. Waist high rock structures surrounded him, he pivoted around, something was here ready to attack, but where? An endless nightmare... he was trapped in an endless nightmare! HELP!! He'd do anything just make them stop coming! Shadows...they were here, and they were coming to get him. He braced himself, trying to control his shivers of fear and exhaustion, gods he was tired. He wanted to collapse, but if he did they would get him, he couldn't let them get him! They would violate him! What would Grandfather think? What would he think? Fight them! Fight them! The shadows had faces....his face, his face over and over. He was fighting himself, they charged at him attacking him at all angles, and suddenly he was a giant. He towered over the versions of himself that sprang on him furious, striking biting, and attacking any open area on his body. He held one in the palm of his hand squeezing it until it screamed, but he felt its pain, it was his! He screamed ad screamed. Wake up! Please wake up!

"SAGE!!" Ryo cried out as he shot straight up in bed. He clutched his sheets panting and gasping, eyes roaming the room wildly searching for demons and shadows. He heard Cye's voice from the bed beside him, "Hey Ryo, what's the matter? What happened?"

"Gods....gods..." Ryo was running his hands through his wild black hair, "I had this...this nightmare..."

"Was it about Sage? You screamed for him when you woke up," Cye was stretching himself, he had needed that night's rest.

Ryo nodded still in a daze, "It was so real... He was so scared Cye... and," he shook his head. "He's alive, and somewhere in the city. I know that much now, Cye, and someone or something is hurting him."

Cye shivered, "Still think we'll find him Ryo?"

Ryo nodded, "Definitely." We have to, he added silently, to himself. No one messed with his friends. The pain and fear, and exhaustion he'd felt coming from Sage was overwhelming, and his screams for help were unbearable. Sage never screamed, but somehow when Ryo heard him, he knew immediately who it was. 

"Yo," Kento and Rowen burst into the room suddenly startling Cye and Ryo, "what's up? We heard a scream, and... felt some really weird stuff coming from you Ryo. What happened?"

"He had a nightmare about Sage," Cye filled Kento and Rowen in while Ryo got himself together. "He knows Sage is alive now, and that he's here somewhere."

"OK, so what now?" Kento questioned, "Where do we look?"

"I...I don't know. I just know he's being hurt, and he's very afraid," Ryo drew himself out of bed slowly stretching his body.

"What kind of a lead is that?" Kento asked his brows drawing together.

"It lets us know he's freaking alive Kento, and that he's in the damn city ok! Leave me alone, I don't want to hear your mouth right now! I need a shower," Ryo walked away from the group, leaving the room briskly.

"Well, great going Kento," Cye remarked tartly. "He was really freaked out. Talking to him like that didn't help. He feels bad enough as it is... He... I feel that he thinks that because he's our leader, this is all his fault. Sage being gone, I mean."

"Well maybe it is," Kento said softly, "Maybe it's my fault, maybe it's Rowen's, maybe it's yours... Who cares who's fault it is? All we know is that it freakin' happened, and we're not freakin' doing anything about it! He's the damn leader, so he needs to lead! No more of this pissy, leave me alone shit! We're wasting time! He's wasting our time! He's telling us, oh some creeps are hurting Sage, scaring him... and then leaves here in a PMS huff. I'm sick of him and his stupid temper tantrums, and us, always having to ride them out. Well now we don't have time for it. I don't like this Rowen, I don't like where we are, and not knowing anything! I say we go out and start getting some answers. As many things that have been going on in this town, I know someone else has seen that armor, has seen Sage, and know where the hell they both are! Ryo or not, we're going out now!"

"DAMN YOU KENTO!!" Ryo rushed back into the room. "You never think about anything! You're always so quick to point your big fat fingers in other people's faces, before you actually put that pea-sized brain of yours to use, and start thinking! If you thought about anything, you wouldn't say half the things you do, and you wouldn't have said any of that bull shit speech you just made!"

"It's not bull shit! What you're doing right now Ryo, is bull shit! We shouldn't have let that girl run away from us last night! You said it yourself she knew something! Who cares if she would be scared.... Maybe if you had let us question her, we'd have Sage with us right now on our way home, instead of waking up to your ass screaming and telling us someone's freakin' torturing him!" Kento and Ryo stood nose to nose, both red in the face. 

"Guys chill, come on," Rowen was trying to get in between them.

"All this shouting is not helping anything ok?" Cye was edging his way into the fight as well to end it. 

"And neither is he!" both Ryo and Kento yelled in unison. 

"Guys..."

"Hey, excuse me boys, but if you haven't noticed we are not at home, so you are not allowed to yell as loud as you would like," Mia poked her head into the room. She had been interrupted in her morning rituals by their roaring at one another. 

"Kento started it," Ryo said bitterly.

"Ryo's a shit," Kento retorted. 

Mia blinked at the two of them, "I don't know what's wrong with either of you, but we have some serious work to do here, and being hot headed with one another is not going to help anything we're trying to do. I suggest you two separate yourselves from each other, one of you go out, both of you go out, just not together. Either way I don't care, I just don't want to hear anymore screaming!" She slammed the door.

"Now see what you did!" both Ryo and Kento accused each other simultaneously, causing Cye and Rowen to groan and fall back on Cye's bed.  
  


"Ryo is getting on my last nerve!" Kento was fuming as he bit into his third large hamburger. He sat beside Rowen spewing all of his negative emotions as he drowned himself in food.

"Careful not to get too upset while eating Kento, old pal, stress will turn what you're eating into fat."

"I don't care about fat!" Kento raged, "Stop with the funny stuff! I don't need jokes! Ryo and Cye let that girl get away with trashing my uncle's restaurant last night. The girl knows something about the armor, if we'd caught up to her, maybe we would have found Sage. Maybe we wouldn't be worrying right now... Maybe we wouldn't have to be thinking about that armor going out and killing more people! If the armor does evil, it looks bad on all of us, and we have to stop it! It seems like nobody wants to take action here but me!" He pounded the bar with his fist, and bellowed, "Hey waitress, gimme another jumbo burger here!"

Rowen rolled his eyes, then his attention was caught by the commotion going on outside. He went to the window to peer out. People in the street were running, their faces clearly etched in fear. "Rowen? What are you looking at?"

"Kento...you wanted action, I think we're about to get some. Something's going on out there! Let's go!" 

Kento cracked his knuckles, "Now you're talking." He laid down a few bills and jogged out after Rowen.

They stepped out onto the street which now had large cracks running down it as if a tremendous earthquake had struck the city. Green mists enveloped the area, and flashes of lightning rained from the sky in torrents. "Look, it's the armor...Sage...!" Rowen pointed. 

The armor of light marched down the street further engaging in its reign of terror. "Armor up, we have to fight him, it, whatever!"

"Armor of Hardrock!"

"Armor of Strata!"

The changes were quick. Soon three samurai stood in the middle of times square. "Sage, I don't know what's gotten into you buddy, but we're gonna have to fight you if you don't stop!" Kento said in a bold voice. The warrior took a step forward, and Rowen and Kento gasped... Sage wasn't in there... The armor was empty, it walked on its own. It had come to life. They shook their heads quickly, and prepared to battle it. They actually felt better about fighting it, knowing that their friend was not inside. 

The armor fought them with the skill Sage possessed and then some. It had incredible strength, and they were no match for it alone they found. They had to use their attacks... but there were too many spectators in the way trying to view the battle, and cheering them on. 

"I can't use my attack... There are too many people in the way. I could hurt them!" Kento yelled to Rowen.

"Well I can't use mine either!"

At some point or another a news crew had arrived and began filming the live battle scene. Ryo and Cye watched in horror as they saw their two friends doing battle with Halo.

"They are too many people in the way, they can't fight it," Cye said. "Ryo, they need our help." 

"Come on..." in a blink of an eye Cye and Ryo had donned their sub armors and were running at the speed of sound to get to their friends.  
  


"Argh!" Kento barely caught the blade of the sword of Halo in his staff. He used brute force to try and send the no-datchi flying from the hand of its wielder. It was no use, the demon possessed armor was much too strong. 

Rowen fended off blow after blow with the broadside of his bow, but was unable to attack the monster directly. They needed a plan. He was going to call to Kento that they needed to regroup when the noise of helicopters descending from the sky caught his attention. Both Kento and Rowen gazed up to the darkening heavens to see the NYPD helicopters dipping lower to the scene and opening fire. "Aw shit! We're the good guys!" Kento cried to them, knowing they couldn't hear him. They skirted around bullets, some striking and rebounding off their armors. Maybe the bullets would slow Halo down, Rowen tossed his head back to see the armor, and gasped, "What the hell is it doing? Oh SHIT!"

Halo was poised in the stance familiar to them as the one Sage took when about to use his attack. The armor pointed the long sword straight up into the air, calling on the forces of lightning, and the clouds parted, shooting a bolt of lightning directly into the blade of the sword, Halo blazed like a super nova unleashing a tidal wave of ultra violet light and deadly voltages of electricity. Rowen and Kento were thrown to the scorched pavement, buildings collapsed, the helicopters came crashing down to the earth...and the screams of the dying innocents were unendurable. 

Ryo and Cye reached the fight a minute too late. They arrived to see their comrades lying in steaming heaps on the ground, the bodies of hundreds lining the walkways, and the wreckage from helicopters and buildings sprinkling the streets. Halo stood unharmed, ready to do battle again. Kento was the one they reached first, "Kento!"

Kento gave a moan in response, he forced himself to his knees painfully. He was the warrior of strength and could endure a bit more than the others, "Check on Rowen, I think he's hurt... I'll be ok..."

"Oh Kento...did Sage...?"

"That thing's empty, no Sage in there...."

"Ryo we better armor up," Cye said shakily, he gazed at Rowen who was further away, and did not move. Any attempt to get to him would be thwarted by the evil armor.

"Good call," Ryo almost snapped before calling upon his armor, "Armor of Wildfire!"

"Armor of Torrent!"

Their changes were quick, feeling more empowered they stared the green armor of Halo down, eyes dark with determination. Ryo went on the attack first, he distracted the armor with his quick attacks, then was able to side step it to get to Rowen, "Rowen?"

"You guys are late..." Rowen moaned from the ground, trying to give Ryo a smile and failing. 

"You know us, always got to make an entrance..." Ryo gave him a smile before jumping back into the battle to help Cye who was fighting Halo alone. He was being out-skilled, and was grateful when Ryo's swords connected with the sword of Halo taking the pressure off of him. Ryo fought with the expertise of a professionally trained swordsman, though remarkably he had taught himself. He hollered insults at the demon armor as he fought, hoping to call out whatever spirit was possessing his friend's armor. As they locked swords, and Ryo's face came closer to view the hollow insides of the helmet, a low sinister laugh escaped from it. Ryo stepped back almost dropping his sword as a strange vapor poured from the helmet, the neck, the arms, the legs... the ghostly phantasm collected itself in a large cloud high above the battle scene, still roaring with that spine chilling laughter. The cloud began to take form, a figure was composing itself inside. A misshapen demon spirit now loomed over them, his head much too large for his body, his features grossly distorted across his face. Thick white eyebrows covered the hollows of his eyes, he laughed to reveal teeth like fangs. His skin was a sickly pea green, and veins lined his face and hands. "Now I have seen for myself all five of the mythical armors... They do exist... Your friend is with me, he is in Shikaisen's hands."

"What the hell did you say? You have Sage?" Ryo was demanding, but the sounds of more helicopters approaching drove his attention away from the demon and into the skies behind them. Rowen and Kento were down, if the helicopters fired again, they wouldn't be able to get out of the line of fire. His duty as the leader prompted him to save the lives of two of his warriors, whether than wagering both of their lives in finding out about the fate of one. He backed toward Rowen, as he saw Cye was already at Kento's side helping him up. "We gotta get out of here!"

"I'm taking good care of you friend. Do not worry about him. We will meet again, soon."

"Wait!" Ryo called after the phantasm in vain, but it was already receding, and the police were coming. "Split up!"  
  


He lost track of Cye and Kento early on, as he ran with Rowen on his back. He slipped into an alley, and lie in wait for the police to pass. This was not a good hiding place, anyone could find them there. "Rowen? You doing ok buddy?"

"Mmm... fine and dandy Leader man..." Rowen grunted. He leaned on Ryo heavily as they leaned on the red brick wall of an apartment complex. "We can't stay here."

"Stating the obvious..."

"Shut up smart ass, where do you suggest we go?" Ryo poked at Rowen, who simply hung on him limply.

"I don't know man... Where do you suppose Kento and Cye ended up?"

Ryo was quiet, "I don't know." 

They stood in silence listening to the scuffing of boots, and the whirs of walkie talkies. "Did you hear what that thing said about Sage? You really think he's ok?"

"No! You saw that thing! You saw what it's doing, what it did! And that dream..." Ryo was shaking his head. It was killing Sage, slowly but surely. It was somehow using him to make the armor function, he was simply keeping Sage alive for mandatory purposes, but Ryo certain there was no pleasure in the occupation for Sage.

"How do we help him, Ryo? We know what has him now, but we still have no way of finding him."

"We'll figure out a way, Ro. We always do," Ryo said quietly. Rowen was letting his pain and fatigue talk for him. He was never so hopeless sounding. "I need to find some place to take you, so you can get help."

"I'll be..." they were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps, by the crunching of the gravel beneath the shoes, they were sneakers, and they were coming closer to their location.

"Shit..." Ryo took a breath, he didn't want to fight the local law enforcement and make a public enemy of himself, but if he had to he would. He had friends to protect. He raised his eyes to meet those of a girl...the girl! The one that had attacked them and accused them of murder!

"What are you doing here?" he stared at her incredulously. "Rowen, it's her." Rowen barely opened his sleepy eyes to acknowledge the female in front of them.

The girl studied them both, sizing them up before sighing, "Come with me. I know a safe place where you can hide."

  
  


**Be kind and review ;) **


	2. Episode 2

**Author's Note: Thanks for all of the great reviews, and I'm sorry this next installment has taken so long to get out. I just needed to find the free time to sit down and watch the Gaiden videos again. College can be time consuming lol. Anyways, the end of this Episode strays a bit from the videos because I did not like the ending, it felt incomplete and I wanted more from it. I hope you enjoy what you read and will give me a review or two ;) **

  
  


Disclaimer: I wish! (Then I'd be rich, and Gaiden would have ended how I wanted it too).   
  
  
  
  
  
EPISODE 2  
  


"Where are they?" Mia was biting her nails. She and Yulie sat at a smaller table in Mr. Chin's restaurant waiting for Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen to return. From what they saw on the television, Rowen and Kento had been hurt. Please be ok...she prayed silently, trying to keep a pleasant expression on her face for Yulie. She couldn't let him see how worried she really was. 

"The guys are out there kicking butt right, Mia! They're gonna be back here any minute...with Sage! They'll have a great story to tell us!" Yulie was a perpetually happy child, and easy to please. Mia pet his head fondly, and went back to her discrete nail biting. 

"Bet they'll be back for dinner," Yulie continued to talk, only stopping when a loud crash from the front of the restaurant was heard. There were screams and the sounds of people fighting. Mr. Chin came rushing towards them just as they were standing, "What's going on?"

"There are some men here dressed as ninjas and they're destroying the restaurant. They're after you two, you have to leave... There's a back..." Mia screamed as a masked ninja leapt into the room landing a hard kick in Mr. Chin's stomach sending him reeling back into the buffet table. Mia grabbed Yulie and pulled him close to her, "Leave us alone!"

"Get away from them!" Mr. Chin was pulling himself up, he stood with a grunt. His chubby body was not made for taking such abuse, but as long as he could stand he was not about to let those ninjas abduct his young guests entrusted to his care by his own nephew. He charged forward again only to be struck brutally in the face, and punched in the chest. He collapsed to the floor, but fought to stand again, until he heard a short yelp. He raised his eyes to see that one of the ninjas held a blade to little Yulie's exposed throat. "Don't get up Mr. Chin...stay down! We'll be ok!" Mia called before she was gagged. 

Mr. Chin watched in horror as Mia and Yulie were carried away by the assailants. "I'm sorry..."  
  


The strange girl led them deeper and deeper into the city's underground pipe system. Ryo supported Rowen, frowning when he felt him beginning to falter. "Rowen, come on buddy, stay with me."

"I'm with you..." Rowen grunted back, trying to put more resolve into his steps. 

"Under here, and be still," the girl hissed, she ducked under a pipe. Ryo awkwardly followed her movements with Rowen still draped over his shoulder. Voices and the heavy pounding of boots were heard as the police passed. Their flashlight beams pierced the shadows momentarily. They sat huddled for nearly 10 minutes, before the girl spoke again, "I think they're all gone."

Ryo nodded, "Yeah I do too." They stared at each other for a while. "You were ready to kill one of us yesterday, what's making you help us now?"

The girl gave a sheepish grin, "I... Well, I saw you all fighting that green armor out there, and I...well I figured I'd made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"I hope you don't chase everyone you're mistaken about around with sharp objects," Rowen muttered with a groan of pain. 

"Let me take a look at that Rowen," Ryo said softly, gazing at his friend's pain filled expression. He was pale and sweating. They had long ago taken off their armors and were now in their street clothes. Rowen moaned, "I think I cracked a rib or two...and my leg hurts really bad."

The girl was already rolling up his pant leg to check the wound, she grimaced at the site of it, "It appears to only be a flesh wound."

"Well it hurts like holy hell," Rowen muttered giving a hiss of pain as the girl wrapped his leg up with a piece of her t-shirt that she had just ripped. "Ow....not so tight!"

The girl cocked an eyebrow, "I know what I'm doing."

Ryo chuckled, he had helped Rowen remove his light weight jacket and was pulling up his shirt, "So Wonder Woman, what do we call you?"

She laughed lightly, "The name's Luna? And what do I call you two, the Tin Men?"

"You could, but we wouldn't like it very much," Ryo said back with a grin. Rowen opened his eyes which had previously been clenched shut in pain to stare at Ryo... He knew he heard it, but would he see it as well? Was Ryo flirting with She-ra? Bah...the glazed look, the dopey smile, definitely flirting, he rolled his eyes. 

"I'm Ryo, and this is Rowen," Ryo introduced them both. He frowned at Rowen's midriff, "You got some serious bruising here bro. I don't think you were too far off about those cracked ribs. We need to tape them up."

"Eh..." Rowen growled, "Well while we're waiting...anybody got any pain killer?"

Luna smirked, "Not on me, but we can go back to my place to get some tough guy."

"Is it close?" Rowen asked, his voice cracking a bit.

Luna nodded. "Come on, it'll only take a few minutes to get there from here."

"How do you know these tunnels so well. I mean, stuff like this isn't a usual past time for a girl..."

Luna laughed, "It's not is it? My older brother used to bring me down here when we were younger. He taught me how to find my way to anywhere in the city from the underground. He taught me a lot of things..." her voice caught.

"Was he the one of the ones killed by..."

She nodded, tears beginning to stream from her eyes, "Yes, yes! And that's why I attacked you... that's why I've been following you! I will avenge my brother's death, if it's the last thing I do! I owe him that much! He was all I had! I had no other family but him, and that thing that dresses like one of you, took him away from me!"

"Luna, we're sorry..." Ryo began, he didn't know how to approach her, "We came here to stop it, ok? We're going to get whoever's behind all of this, ok?"

"You didn't do such a good job of it just then."

"I bet we did a better job than you would," Rowen uttered. 

"Ro!"

"She's being pissy!" Rowen snapped.

"He's in pain. He's always a bitch when he's in pain, ignore him," Ryo apologized for Rowen profusely. "We weren't sure what we were up against just then. You see.... that armor? It belongs to our friend, and he's been kidnaped by whatever's controlling the armor now. We came here to save him."

"That evil armor is one of yours?"

"It's not evil...it's the wearer and what he chooses to do with the armor that's evil," Ryo said. 

Luna listened quietly, before nodding. "I will help you then."

"Oh no..no this is dangerous. You could get hurt, leave this up to us. We appreciate your help now, but..."

"I'm going to help whether you like it or not. I don't know how girls act in Japan, but us American women don't like to sit on the sidelines. I got too much at stake."

"Luna...Shhh!" More footsteps, and voices. It sounded like... "Hey there you two are...YOU!" Kento's bulk dropped from the stairway above and planted itself right in front of Luna, "Alright girlie, I got a score to settle with you. You trashed my uncle's restaurant!"

"Kento!"

"...don't think you're going to get away with it!"

"Kento!"

"And further more..."

"Kento shut up! She saved my and Rowen's behinds a little while ago. Listen, she made a mistake ok? She lost her brother..."

Kento blinked before the meaning of Ryo's words set in. "I hear Kento's loud mouth bellowing, so I must assume that he's found Rowen and Ryo and they are ok. And what do you know, he has!" Cye appeared and traveled down the stairway mocking pleasant surprise. He smirked at Kento's hateful expression, his eyes widened at seeing Luna, "Hello. Are we speaking or fighting this time?"

"Speaking," Luna said softly. "I'm sorry."

Cye reached the bottom of the stairs, "Are you two alright?"

Ryo nodded, "Rowen's gonna need some tape for his ribs though... Guys, this is Luna. Luna, this is Cye, and the big one's Kento. Luna says her apartment's nearby and she's got some painkillers."

"And tape, I can fix your friend up," Luna offered.

"Sounds good to me," Rowen said. "What kind of painkillers do you have? Strong ones? Like the ones you take through an IV that knock you out for hours?"

They all shot Rowen looks of amusement, "What?"

"Come on you," Ryo helped Rowen to stand, "we'll get to Luna's place, then head back to Mr. Chin's to check on Mia and Yulie and let them see we're ok."

"Oh yeah Mia and Yulie!" Kento exclaimed, "They probably think we're dead or something! We better hurry!"

Shikaisen chuckled darkly as he viewed the outdoor festivities taking place that day. People lined the streets dancing and participating in the parades dressed in colorful costumes. He hoped they were enjoying themselves, for it would be the last joy they were destined to have. He brought his mind's eye back into the chamber his ghastly form was hoovering in. He gazed at his new captives, the young boy and woman who were friends of the stubborn blond teenager, bound to each other hanging from the ceiling by a single rope. They were still unconscious, they had been unconscious upon arrival. Maybe they could be used to persuade the teen to don the armor of Halo, if not, they would simply serve as bait to the other warriors that were sure to come to save their friends. 

"I'm looking forward to seeing the full power of the armor of Halo," Shikaisen spoke pointedly, glaring at his minion, who kept promising to wear the boy down, and get control of his mind, but kept failing to do so. 

"Be patient for just a while longer Shikaisen. It shouldn't be long now before I have him under my control. In his weakened condition he won't be able to fight the mind control for much longer, no matter how strong willed he is," the scientist shook his head. "I keep telling him that if he would only put the armor on so the computer can fully analyze the power of it, all of this would stop. No more pain, he'd be free...but he keeps fighting me. I'll break his resolve sooner or later." He sighed and turned a dial on his counsel that caused another electric current to course through the boy's body. The boy's body convulsed against the iron star, and he groaned in pain. 

"I've learned something new about the armor just the other day. Watch as I demonstrate..." Shikaisen nodded to his minion who turned the dial on his counsel again running more electricity through the boys body, causing him to cry out again even louder. The armor reacted with a flash, the computer screen went wild showing numbers and configurations, the power levels were off the charts. 

The partying people on the streets above that the demon had been monitoring were bombarded with an electrical explosion from the earth. They shrieked as their bodies were charred beyond recognition. 

"I cannot wait for the day this wonderful power shall become mine."

Mia woke to the sounds of mens' voices, and a loud scream of pain... The scream...it had almost sounded like... she gazed down and gasped. Oh no... that poor baby. Sage was just below her, his body hanging limply from a metal structure. IV's leaking fluids into his veins snaked in and out of his body, wires and cords were bound and attached by electrodes to his forehead. His hands and feet were chained to the structure, keeping him prisoner. He appeared to be unconscious, except for the loud screams that were being elicited by the jolts of electricity being run through his body at any given time. Those screams let Mia know he was still alive. She felt a smaller body's heat on her back, and knew Yulie was tied up behind her, she prayed he would never look down. Sage screamed again in pure agony, and Mia was momentarily blinded by the flash of light from Halo. She heard cries from more than just Sage then, and looked below to see the spirits of hundreds rising up through the floor boards, and she squealed, waking Yulie.

"Mia...Mia? Where.."

"Oh gods.... Stop this! Leave him alone, stop this!" Mia was yelling. More spirits rose, one actually brushing past her face, and she moaned in fear and repulsion.

Yulie was beginning to cry, "Mia..."

"Shhh...Yulie, Ryo and the others will come to save us..."

"I'm scared Mia... Look at Sage! Is he dead?"

"No, no honey, he's not dead." But he probably wished he was. "He's only sleeping, waiting for Ryo. You should try to do the same, ok? When you wake up, we'll all be on our way home."

The demon below them looked on at the mass congregation of human souls rising into his lair, with a cruel smile of pleasure on his face as he said bellowed, "I cannot wait for the day when all of this wonderful destructive power to be mine."  
  


Kento lashed out in fury striking the wall of his Uncle's ruined restaurant just above the message left by the men who had trashed the place. He had extended his generous hospitality to them, and this was how they repaid him? By leading demons and mercenaries to his establishment, endangering him and his staff! Kento growled in fury, not only had they unintentionally lured the phantom menaces to his Uncle's grounds, but Mia and Yulie had been kidnaped as well! They just couldn't seem to do anything right! "I've had just about enough of these guys! Now they're leaving notes, trying to lure us into traps! Come to Little Tokyo my ass..." 

"I tried to help them, but by the time I came it was too late! The men...the ones dressed like ninjas, had already taken them. I could do nothing to help..." Kento's Uncle Chin stood looking shamed, his portly figure slightly slumped, his arm bandaged and in a sling, a purpling bruise partly obscured by a band-aid just above his brow. He spoke with his eyes closed, the shaking quality in his vocal timbre enhancing the sound of sorrow in his voice. 

Ryo shook his head stepping forward to place his hands firmly on the much larger man's shoulders, and gave him a friendly squeeze, "Don't feel bad about anything that's happened here. We're the ones who have been on a burden on you, and I'm sorry. Some how we'll make this right." His clear blue eyes were wide with sincerity.

"Hey," Kento had abandoned his former state of rage, and had come to join Ryo standing near his Uncle. He smiled encouragingly at his Uncle Chin, "look at you! You got battle scars from trying to protect our friends! You tried, which is more than what we would have asked you to do. In my book, that makes you pretty damn cool."

"But we all know none of this would have happened," Cye began matter-of-factly, as he frowned down at a broken plate..such a pretty pattern destroyed, "if we had all been working together as a team, and didn't stand divided. Guys, if we want to find Sage, Mia, and Yulie, we're got to put our petty scuffles and quarrels between us aside, and start working together."

Kento nodded, surprising Cye with his agreeableness, "Now's not the time to be proud..." he looked at Ryo pointedly, words of apology in his eyes.

Ryo stared back just as intensely, a slight smile gracing his features, "Yeah, it's not." He sighed deeply, looking at Kento, then at the wall where the message the ninjas had left remained scrawled. "Guys, I know it's a trap, but we have nothing else to go on. We're going to have to do as the message says, but as long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Nothing can stop us, right?"

"Right!" 

Ryo held out a hand to Kento, who took it firmly in a shake, then Cye came and added his hand to the pile. They squeezed each others' hands briefly before pulling back, all three pairs of eyes now burning with intensity and fellowship, "We'd better go see about Rowen," Ryo said softly, and Cye and Kento agreed whole-heartedly, it was time to put the team back together...  
  


Rowen sat up in the single bed in his sweats doing sits ups with his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands behind his head. He grunted softly in pain everything he forced his body up into a crunch when his muscles contacted. He ignored the pain and continued to work, he had to get himself back into the best physical condition he could be in. He could smell the battle he was about to be immersed in, and knew he had to recover quickly.

"Rowen slow down, you're going to hurt yourself. Don't push so hard," Luna scolded him as she stood by the front door holding it slightly ajar. Cye sat on the love seat just beside the door also watching Rowen in concern, saying nothing, but ready to spring into action if his friend should call out in pain. 

"Oh don't worry about me. I may not be as big and strong as Kento, but I heal pretty fast, I'll be ok."

Luna smiled at him warmly, "Oh don't say that. I think you're every bit as strong as Kento, maybe not bulk wise...but you know." She shrugged, "All the same, I'm going out to get more medical supplies. See you later." She slipped out of the door, her long braid flowing behind her, she tuck her head back in after a second and gave a final wave before disappearing completely.

After the front door has closed Cye spoke up for the first time, "Rowen... as soon as you're better, we're going to go and rescue Sage, Mia, and Yulie, but not a second sooner. So please don't push yourself too hard, and end up encumbering your recovery."

Rowen rolled his eyes, "Cye..."

"Rowen," Cye said testily, looking at him sternly. Rowan laughed, letting his hands fall to his side and lying back in bed, "Better Momma Cye?"

"Much."  
  
  
  


Ryo stood alone on the bridge watching the sun set, letting the moderate wind ruffle his hair. He had told the others he was going on a walk, he just hadn't said how far. Cye would probably have a kidney if he knew where he was, but he had to think, and he didn't want any of them to just happen upon him. So much had happened. It seemed there was always so much happening in his life, he could scarcely remember a time when everything was calm. But he supposed it was good, his life as a warrior, was better than any life he'd had as just an orphan. At least now he had duty and purpose, and friends... He took a deep breath of the fresh cool air, and let it out loudly, after his grandmother and grandfather had passed on, he thought he'd never care about another living soul...other than White Blaze. Now he had 6 other people he cared about more than himself, 6 people he'd readily die for, and it seemed he was always being given the chance to make good on his word. The Fates liked to play cruel games with him, take away one family, give him another, but place the new one in such a position that Ryo could never be too sure just how long he was going to have that one as well. Something in the back of his mind spoke to him, told him he shouldn't let himself care so much, it urged him to back away, to slowly shut himself off from his new family. It didn't want to be hurt again, it didn't want to face that kind of loss again... Dealing with the first was enough, and it seemed this new family was doomed. 

He shook his head, quieting the voice. The voice that had comforted him years ago when he lived in various group homes, instructing him not to care. There was no need for the cool voice now, for Ryo had a made a decision. If his new family was doomed, then so was he. He'd die before he let any of them get seriously injured while he was around... if they died, then so would he. 

He looked to the sky raising his hand in a fist as he spoke his words with grim determination, "Sage, Mia, Yulie, I'll save you, I swear."

He lowered his fist, bringing it to his side and brought his head down, as he felt the beginnings of a tear, he wouldn't cry... They'd been through worse. He briefly recalled the time, Sage, Kento, and Cye had been held captive by the Dynasty. He remembered seeing them in chains.... 

The dream of Sage invaded his thoughts then... was where Sage was worse than that? He had been locked in a nightmare, half asleep, half awake, and he had no Cye or Kento to talk to, to keep him sane and hopeful. Did he know that Ryo had heard him, that they were coming for him? The only thing he had gotten from Sage was confusion, fear, exhaustion, and pain. If he had sensed Ryo was with him for that brief moment he didn't let on to it. 

"Ryo!" he jumped at the voice, and turned. Luna was running towards him. What was she doing way out here? "Luna?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked him in a breathless rush, she stopped across from him leaning on the opposite rail of the bridge. 

Ryo couldn't help but notice how the her silky brown hair fell into her face just touching her eyes, of the way her long hair plaited up into a loose braid rested against her shoulders, falling down to touch her waist. Her skin glowed with the healthy flush running had brought to it, and her eyes shone as she gazed at him with a warm smile on her sweet face. 

He shook his head, this girl was helping them, that was all. His friends were in danger, it was inappropriate for him to be admiring Luna in that way. She had also lost a brother, she was still in mourning. Shame on you Ryo for trying to take advantage of her, he scolded himself. Then he gazed at her again, once again feeling the sweeping sensation of attraction, he cleared his throat, "Just thinking. I had to get away for a bit. Um... thank you for taking such good care of Rowen. You're a strange girl, you know that? I guess that's why you've taken to us so well. Anyone else would have turned us over to the FBI by now, and we'd be in a lab as test subjects."

Luna blushed bringing a hand behind her neck in a gesture of shy modesty, she lowered her eyes demurely, "What can I say? I am rather eccentric, but taking care of Rowen, and taking you guys in feels...right. I feel horrible about all the things I've said about you, you know, accusing you of things. I'm kind of embarrassed."

Ryo gave a light laugh, "You shouldn't be."

They stood staring at each other in silence, it seemed they both wanted to speak to one another, and they were inwardly debating over who should go first. Ryo could feel the heat rising to his cheeks...was he blushing as much as she was? He hoped not, if Kento were here he'd never hear the end of it.

"Will you be leaving soon Ryo? Or do you think you'll stick around for a little longer?" Luna asked suddenly, her eyes strange...was that longing he saw in them?

"We have to help our friends," Ryo said turning away from her to look back across the water. When he actually thought about it, with her standing there, he really wouldn't mind staying...after he'd helped Sage and the others. Maybe his family would gain a new member... He sat on the railing pondering that, as he heard her footsteps moving toward him, "Let me go with you. I know my way around Little Tokyo, I cam be of help to you." 

He hopped down from his sitting position onto the floor of the bridge to meet her as she came to him, her eyes were grave, "I know you guys were planning on leaving in the night without telling me!"

"Luna, I know you want revenge for your brother...and maybe you think helping us will give you just that...but it's just too dangerous. I mean, you're just a girl..." a small boned, pretty, little girl...he thought with a sigh, that didn't need to mixed up with the likes of him. 

"That's not fair! I just can't sit around and do nothing while I know you are off fighting the monster that destroyed my family! You brought Mia and Yulie with you on your journey from Tokyo to help out, and if they were here you'd bring them with you to Little Tokyo, so why not me?"

"I did not choose to bring Mia and Yulie along with us here...in fact, I wanted to come alone, they ALL followed me. And if Mia and Yulie were still here with us now...I'd...I'd be asking you to look after them, while Rowen, Kento, Cye, and I went after Sage. It's just not safe for someone who isn't a warrior. We don't know what we're going to be walking into when we get there... you could get hurt."

"But...You trust me right? You left me with Rowen, you'd leave me with Mia and Yulie... That means you think of me now, as part of your team, right?" She moved closer to him putting her arms around him and leaning her head into his chest. 

Ryo stood rigid, inhaling her sweet scent, and getting lost in the glossiness of her almond brown hair, her arms around him send fire through his skin... and hesitantly he returned her embrace, her head rose, her eyes gazing upon his face... She had won him over...and he sighed, bowing his head a bit, and she once again relaxed her face into his chest.  
  


"Perfect... Love the new edition to the team Ryo," Kento groaned in annoyance, rolling his eyes at Luna, who had once again scolded him over something he had said.

"Just who do you think got you here, you big lug?" Luna snapped, restraining herself from striking him.

"You two sound like siblings," Cye chuckled.

"Whatever, I would never want HER as a sister. I got enough already, and thank to the Lord above, none of them act like her!" Kento puffed out his chest walking in front of the group, as they strolled the devastated streets of Little Tokyo. 

"I don't need your stamp of approval Kento...as if it'd be worth anything if I had it!" Luna retorted with a snort walking beside Ryo. She tried to meet his eyes, but he was scanning the ruins of the town, "Look at this... They're not even trying to hide what they're doing anymore."

Left over tatters of what must have been a festival, and trash of all colors, and piles of debris littered the cracked desolate streets. The sky was an unearthly orange tint, that made him shiver. It reminded him of the Dynasty, and the horror Tulpa had unleashed upon his homeland.   
  


Shikaisen chuckled darkly to himself as he watched the four boys and a girl traveling the streets through his viewing pool... the only warm blooded bodies in the area. "I didn't know there were four other armors. Come quickly my Ronnins, so I can master all 5 of the armors. The power I'd have then, I'd be invincible."

From above him, Yulie cried out, "Leave them alone!" Shikaisen gave a curt nod and the chains were tightened around his captives' waists painfully, and they were hoisted up a bit higher in the air. They both gave grunts of pain. 

He smirked, then turned his attention back to the boy, his golden one that hung strapped to the metal star. Each day of pain, misery, and sensory starvation he grew paler and weaker, the effects of many psychogenic drugs altering his perception of reality, the white noise being played into his ears cutting him off from any outside stimuli. His resolve was slowly dwindling and being broken down more and more. "I'll give you one more chance Halo... Move the armor yourself!"

His words laced with venom flashed through the boy's mind, slicing into his nightmares like a dull blade. The boy beared his teeth, his startling grey eyes actually opening to take him the living chaos swirling about him. In his muddled mind he saw monsters and spirits... he heard the snapping and snarling of beasts....but through his insanity he gazed up...and high in the air, near the ceiling of fangs that dripped blood...he saw Mia and Yulie... Mia and Yulie? Why were they here? What had they done to get into Hell? Was it him? Did he drag them here? "It's not fair..." he found his voice slowly. 

"Don't do it Sage!" Yulie cried out, but it was lost on the blond's deaf ears...he couldn't hear their voices, he could only hear in his mind the grunting of devilish phantasms, and the howling of night time creatures too gruesome to appear during the day. He shut his eyes back tight, he no longer wished to see what was going on around him... Go away please...leave me alone. He tried to retreat back into his former darkness, in his private shadows nothing could touch him. 

"The computer is attempting to analyze your power Halo," Shikaisen continued to speak, as if the boy had never cried out to him. His eyes fell on the green armor of Halo that sat in a side stance diagonal from its owner, surrounded in a diamond formation by dark warriors. The computer sat just in front of the armor ciphering away at the odd components of the Ronnin armor. The figures were just not logical as again and again its algorhythm was thrown a curve by a new startling discovery in the properties of the mystical armor. The simple explanation of "It's magic," was beginning to take on a logical appeal, and it the computer could think for itself, it just might have printed out that solution for them demons and scientist.

Another electric current was sent through the bearer of Halo, trying to force a reaction from the armor. The boy yelled out in agony as his body was once again flooded with electricity... he had long ago given up trying to mask his pain, no one cared how honorable he was there....  
  


Ryo, Cye, Kento, and Rowen stood in a circle each extending a hand with their yaroi resting on the palm. Each yaroi glowed its own distinctive color flashing its individual kanji. They stood just outside a worship temple on the stone pathway surrounded by square slabs of stone with Japanese lettering carved into them. "The yaroi react the strongest here...I think they are just below us..." 

Ironic that the demon's base would be at a temple. Luna had been standing back from the Ronnins, but now she moved forward into their private circle to gaze at their yaroi in awe, she reached as if wanting to touch one. They all pulled back clutching their yaroi in their now closed fists, Kento gave half smirk at Luna, "These were given to the 5 of us to uphold. Only we can handle them."

Luna was about to make a remake about the haughtiness of Kento's tone, when Ryo jerked around suddenly as if he'd heard something. There was a low audible groaning and scraping as large rectangular slabs of stone making up the ground beneath them began to slid open. A faint mist of dust rose after the parting, and before it could clear ninjas with katanas resting against their thighs emerged, leaping into the air to surround the Ronnins and Luna. They broke into a run, "These are the guys who took Mia and Yulie!" Ryo yelled. Without being instructed the Ronnins transformed almost simultaneously into their sub armors, and flew into battle mode. 

Luna ducked behind the stone statues to watch the battle, she yelled praise to Ryo. She heard a noise before her, and whirled to see a ninja advancing on her. Her eyes grew large and he prepared to spring on her, but then suddenly he fell to the ground unconscious. Kento stood behind the ninja a cocky grin on his face, and he gazed up at Luna expectantly, just knowing she would have to give him some sort of praise...but found that her back was already to him, and she was hollering encouragement at Ryo again.

His face fell, girls...

After the ninjas had been defeated, they ran inside the gates of the temple, halting before the large entrance, and Ryo called out, "Where are you?" to the demon. "Come out! We're not going anywhere until you do!"

The papery doors to th temple opened, and two phantom flames from the long candle sticks rose and burned, a strange red mist swirled from the blackness within the temple and floated out to embrace the Ronnins and Luna. 

"You're the demon from the other day," Ryo said plainly, gazing at the wisps of red smoke with narrowed eyes. Luna stood behind the Ronnins unsheathing her short blade, her eyes burning with passion. She hadn't expected to be meeting with the thing that had slain her brother in cold blood so soon, and she had to fight to keep herself from rushing forward to attack. "Be prepared," she hissed to the haunting smoke...she was going to destroy it at all costs.

The demon laughed, showing his disfigured face, "Don't be so rash...or you'll never see your friends again..." His spirit form began to shrink inside as if being pulled by an invisible force backward, and the Ronnins and Luna rushed into the temple after the retreating form, hollering for it to wait.

Shikaisen laughed wickedly as he watched the Ronnins and the girl following after the trail he'd left. He floated by a rope which he pulled when they had stepped on a certain spot on the wooden floor. The pulley creaked as the floor slowly began to tilt downwards, and the Ronnins and the girl let out startled yelps. They vanished beneath the floor as he stood over them watching.  
  


They fell a short ways landing in an underground body of water, a small waterfall behind them supplying the body with fresh water. They were in a cave of some sort. Kento was the last to bob to the surface, gasping for air. He looked around wildly as the others had, and heard the scream from above, "Guys!"

All four heads looked above them to see Mia and Yulie dangling from the ceiling in chains. They were ready to spring from the water and rip them free, when a voice from the wooden platform just above them spoke, "Welcome young ones. I've been studying your armor for a few weeks now..."

All eyes rose to greet the thin gray haired man in the long white lab coat and khaki pants..then their eyes fell behind him to the computer...and to, "Sage..." Ryo murmured. Their blond friend hung limply from a large metal star, his lifeless limbs held firmly in place by metal restraints. They stared in horror at the wires and cords, and bags of fluid that streamed in and out of his body...he showed no signs of being alive...but through the dull link of their armors they could feel Sage's vague life force.

"So you notice your little friend here? He's been most uncooperative in helping me understand your wonderful armor, and what it does. I've learned as much as I can from him forcefully, and if you 4 will willingly help me, I'll let him live. I don't think he can take much more..." he laughed cruelly, then turned to his computer counsel pressing a button, upon a fight of stairs leading away up and away from the platform two large mechanic eyes separated by an open door suddenly shifted to focus on the 5 young men in the pool, and released an electric shock down into it. The Ronnins screamed as the voltage coursed through their bodies, shaking them brutally. 

Mia and Yulie cried out from above, watching their heroes be tortured, there was only so much they could take. Seeing Sage was enough... they struggled against their bindings in protest... They're only children, Mia kept thinking, they're only children...

"Yulie... start kicking your legs," she whispered to the boy, "when I say go, kick them starting out going my direction as hard as you can, ok?"

"Ok Mia," Yulie said grimly, not asking questions. He tried to make himself deaf to the screams of his heroes...he learned he could do it. Hours before he'd been able to lock out Sage's screams and cries of dementia. 

"Go..." the two began to kick in unison as hard as they could and then harder still, and they began to pendulum back and forth. "Keep kicking!" Mia instructed feeling elation as they moved further and further to the side with each kick, and to her great surprise and joy, lower. 

The lunatic smiled down at the Ronnins pleasantly unaware of what was happening above his head, as the Ronnins continued to writhe and curse, "When you pass out, and rouse again later beautiful dreams will await you."

Luna clutched to the stone wall. She had not fallen into the pool with the other, she had stabbed her knife into the stone wall and stopped her rapid decent abruptly. She may have dislocated a shoulder, but she was now in a position to help her news friends. She looked in shock at the slumped figure on the platform strapped to a metal constellation. He looked dead... She frowned as she realized it was Ryo's friend, the one they had come to New York for. She hadn't been expecting to find one that looked like him. He was blond and fair skinned, Ryo and his friends were from the East, this one had the look of a Westerner. She heard the loud hiss of electricity and directed her gaze downward when she heard the screams from below. She watched helplessly for a bit as Ryo and the others were electrocuted, and cursed silently.  
  


Mia and Yulie swung lower and lower, back and forth with vigorously until finally they were level with the platform, "Yulie as hard you possibly can this time!" Mia yelled, and felt the little boy give a strong kick along with her own that sent the two of them barreling into the mad scientist, knocking him away from the counsel his finger falling from the button he held down. The electric current stopped.

"Good going guys!" Kento shouted. They leapt from the water shaking off their pain momentarily from the shocks, and onto the platform were more ninjas were released and standing ready to fight them. 

Luna had worked her way to the stone bridge that would take her to the platform. She watched the Ronnins fight with admiration, they were unstoppable. 

Rowen broke away from the fight sending the last ninja in his way sprawling to the ground, and made a mad dash to Sage... Carefully he approached his friend, releasing the cords that kept the star in its suspended position, and bringing it to the floor softly. He began to undo the restraints, and gently he removed the IV's that had not been inserted with care. The pale skin at the injection sites were purple and red with mistreatment. He removed the headphones from his friends ears, and brushed back his sweaty blond hair. He was ready to lift him, and carry him to a quieter place, away from the fighting, when Sage's grey eyes opened a crack to spy him. 

"Sage?" he asked softly. His eyes were misty and confused, but they rested on Rowen focusing slightly, "Ro...Rowen..."

"Yeah, Sage, it's me."

"I...I knew you'd come..." 

"Of course I came! The others are here too," Rowen informed him, lifting him out of the mess of wires, "Do you think you can stand?"  
  


From the center of the platform Mia stood at computer that was analyzing the armor of Halo, trying to delete the files it had made and shut it down. The mad scientist screamed at her stop, that he had almost made a break through. 

"Quick Mia, tell me how to get the armor out of all that junk," Ryo said to her, as he restrained the scientist. The man wasn't very strong, his bones felt as if they'd break in Ryo's grip. He looked to the armor of Halo that entangled in a jungle of wires.

"No need, the dear doctor made the mistake of operating the computer where I could see what he was doing. I can get it out easily from here," she tapped in a few codes.

"Ooh...smooth move Doctor," Ryo purred with a smirk, as the scientist turned his head to see Mia at his computer working it a deftly as he did... "What a bitch..." he muttered, much to Ryo's surprise and amusement.   
  


"Idiot!" roared a voice from above.... the door way that separated the eyes.... Shikaisen stood them, the odd orange tint that had polluted the skies above, behind him.

Kento looked up as he threw down yet another ninja and made a fist, "Oh so you're here again! Why don't you come down here and fight us!"

Shikaisen gave a humorless laugh, "Up until now you're fought demons and spirits with no minds of their own, no internal locus of control. Are you ready to see how you'll fair against an intelligent demon like me, who's mastered everything there is to know?"

"You bastard..you foul nasty disgusting...." images and thoughts flooded his mind flushing out all means to form coherent sentences and actions. Monsters lurked at every corner, demons circled him, but above them all he saw Shikaisen, recognized that voice...the one that had taunted him, had corrupted and polluted him into something his family wouldn't recognize...and he couldn't let him get away with it, "I'll destroy you!" he screamed mercilessly... he heard the screams of thousands, millions, in his mind...death..he could smell it. He had pulled himself up on his shaky legs, using a hand to support himself along the rocky wall. All he could see was Shikaisen grinning at him maddeningly, and spitting insults and curses at him...telling him he was a disappointment to his family...to his friends... He scarcely heard Rowen call out to him, "Sage stop! You're not up to fighting!"

He called upon his armor, fearing that it might not come to him because of how dirty he had become...how he'd failed it, and let it be used... The armor came to him as it always had, and he tensed as he felt the transformation occur. He was wrapped in the metal of his Ronnin armor..never in his life had he felt so unclean...and it was all Shikaisen's fault! 

"You idiot, I know all about your armor," Shikaisen hissed at the boy before him who trembled with rage. He pulled out a sword of his own and brought it across his body, and stood still as the boy charged toward him with a yell, his own long sword drawn. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, and Shikaisen wondered what he saw.

He battled with a fury that delighted Shikaisen as they traded blows.

"Sage!" Ryo called out in horror, they had just gotten him back.

Shikaisen made slashing motions with his sword forming an invisible triangle with his movements, and stood back as dark energy blazed from the invisible symbol striking the bearer of Halo directly in the chest, knocking him backward. He chuckled as the boy's friends screamed his name. He then spread his arms expanding the dark energy field catching the other Ronnin Warriors in his geometric spell. Now all of them were suspended in mid air on his cruel stars of punishment, held up by his dark magic instead of cords and wires. 

The scientist had knocked Mia aside and was now back at his computer overriding her shut down commands, he smirked at her, "You really didn't think you could win this, did you?" he asked her.

"Now I will know the secrets of all of your armors," Shikaisen boomed from below the crucified warriors. 

The scientist watched as the computer's eye that sat upon the stairway began to scan each individual armor. Each armors make up confusing the computer more, the scientist frowned, "If I input Halo's data here..maybe the computer can learn from it, and use it to help clear up the uncertain data."

As the scientist puzzled over his new found predicament and tentative solution, he did not notice Yulie slowly climbing onto the platform. He didn't know what exactly he could do to help, but he would try anything. He knew Mia was watching him making his way up to her, but he didn't know that he had another audience as well.

Shikaisen eyed the youth scrambling onto the platform and flew at him quickly extracting his blade. He was going to take off the boy's head, Mia screamed when she saw the demon rushing at Yulie, who had just pulled himself up, and sat on his knees in terror. Shikaisen had almost reached him when there was a battle cry from above. A girl with long brown hair streaming behind her in a braid had hurled herself from the top of the staircase. Mia gasped as she recognized her as the girl that had threatened Rowen in the restaurant. She plummeted down toward Shikaisen her short blade meeting his long one, she roared, "This is for my brother!" Her eyes were fixed with hatred upon Shikaisen, her face set in determination. 

Shikaisen flipped his wrist a bit, knocking the blade from her hand, as she let out a startled gasp. He landed upon a stone above the platform not striking at Yulie standing in a modified back stance his sword in a down blocking position. 

Luna tumbled at increasing speed as Ryo watched in horror...there was nothing to break her fall. 

The scientist had climbed to the rafters to add his master leaving his precious computer behind. He pulled a gun from his lab jacket and fired a shot at the tumbling Luna, just as Yulie grabbed onto the legs of his khaki pants giving them a hard tug, making his that shot go awry. Mia stood just beside him watching the girls rapid decent with dread.

"LUNA!!" Ryo cried desperately fighting the constraints of the upside down metal triangle that held him. 

Mia ran quickly to the abandoned computer counsel quickly finding the codes that would release Ryo and the others. The metal bindings broke, and the Ronnins tumbled to the ground. Ryo landed hard on his feet, his knees bending to help absorb some of the shock, then he ran to Luna. She lie sprawled near the bottom of the staircase..there was no blood. He knelt beside her, "Luna?" his voice shook. He knew she shouldn't have come. He knew she was going to get hurt. "Hold on, Luna, hold on. We'll get you out of here, and take you to a hospital and you'll be just fine." He lifted her gently bringing her body to rest against his chest, her head found a niche on his shoulder, he stroked her soft brown hair and rocked her slow. Her voice tickled in his ear, "Ryo..." she whispered. He pulled her head off his shoulder, her body slightly away from him so he could see her face... her forehead was beaded with sweat, her eyes wet with tears, she gazed at him softly, lovingly, and gave a smile, "Ryo.." she whispered again.

"Yes?"

Her lips moved soundlessly, as she tried to choke out her final words to him to no avail...she took her last breath and let out a timid sigh, her head falling to one side. He'd lost her. 

He stared at her limp body, eyes wide in shock...he held her body rigidly as he felt the death shudder in her limbs. "Luna?" he shook her finally. "Wake up?" he pleaded. He shut his eyes and brought her body that was already turning cold to his chest as he cried out her name one last time the anguish in his voice heart breaking, "LUNA!!!"

The other Ronnins stared at their leader sorrowfully, until Shikaisen's mocking voice said, "Well it seems you have no intention of cooperating with me, so I'll just have to kill you all. The loss of human life means nothing to me. Humans are weak, and will never amount to anything in the physical world. I am immortal, and have seen many lifetimes, and will see many more to come. Can you say that for yourselves? No, you are meaningless, and will die for a cause that will go unknown and will be unimportant in the future you will never be able to see. You are but mere toys in my play room, and I tire of you."

"Bullshit!" Kento huffed, "You're just mad cause you we beat you! We'll never help you in learning to use our armors, because you can't! They only work for us... and if you kill us, you'll never know the full extent of what they can do! They'll disappear like they never existed. Whether we live or die, you lost, and you're pissed."

Every eye in the room was focused on Shikaisen, even Ryo's teary ones had lifted from Luna's body. He set her down gently and rose in a flash, and called upon his arm, "ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!" signaling the others to call on their armors as well.

Shikaisen watched the amazing transformations before drawing his sword, "So you think you can escape in your armors? You think you stand a chance against me?"

He traded glancing blows with Ryo's twin blades. Ryo was shoved back and he joined his katanas at the pommels holding them vertical, calling on his sure kill, "FLARE UP NOW!!"

Shikaisen was knocked back in the red blaze of fury unleashed by Ryo, Ryo stared in revulsion as the demon's ghastly flesh seemed to melt before his very eyes, leaving him even more disfigured. 

"You have won nothing!" Shikaisen rasped, floating higher in the air over the Ronnins, his horrible face frightening. 

The scientist began to laugh hysterically, "It's the power of magic and science combined! He's unstoppable!" He roared with laughter, spittle flying from his mouth. Mia and Yulie embraced on another in terror, the computer screen before them flashed. Mia squinted at the new readings on the screen her mouth drawing in shock, "This is..."

Suddenly the entire room seemed to shake with energy, the air before them shimmered and misted with ancient dark magic. Shikaisen's image flickered and it seemed more spirits roused to join him, "The computer's memorized our armors..." Sage said in a small voice... "He's calling on that power..." The metal of his armor clanked as he trembled...so many voices, so much haze... too much power.

Kento stared at his friend in concern, angering when he realized he was trembling, Sage never trembled...he stepped forward, he'd had enough, it was time to leave this place, "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!!" He hollered attempting to release his attack.

The eye of the computer focused on him analyzing his stance and reading upon what he was doing...it sent a shock from its eye equivalent to Kento's sure kill, blasting him backward, separating him from his iron staff.

The other Ronnins gasped.

Cye, stepped in front of Kento's fallen form ready to try his attack, "No!" Rowen hollered, "It knows our behavior patterns....It knows our attacks..."

"It...it wouldn't know Inferno..." Sage said shaking his head.... he couldn't sense if it had any knowledge of the white armor... It had never seen it. He stared before him through his blurry vision at the thunderstorm of demons...all mouths laughing at him, all eyes staring... He heard the laughter, the voices... please don't take him back to the forest....

"Good thinking!" Rowen shouted, "Ryo..."

Ryo was already in position, he only need the others to give him their power. The armors began to glow, a sphere of power encompassing each warrior as they surrendered their power to Ryo. Ryo stood still as the powers of his friends was invoked into his armor. He felt the burning heat as the armor of inferno was summoned. His red armor of Wildfire was changing.... His energy levels rose as the mystical white armor of Inferno encased him, he drew the swords of Furber from their sheaths and wiped them in a slashing motion before bring them together in an X, screaming, "FLARE UP NOW!"

The fiery white blast was blinding, the power shook Ryo but he held onto the double swords firmly, he wielded the great fire from the swords with what seemed like astonishing ease and poise. 

The blast destroyed Shikaisen leaving nothing of his behind. 

Ryo dropped to the ground after it was over, sending away his armor, and weeping for Luna. 

Mia worked at the computer deleting all files of Shikaisen and the armors. The scientist wept at the loss of his dark master. 

"Ry..." Cye was beginning but out of the corner of his eye....

"Shit..Sage..." Rowen caught the blond as he sank to the ground. Cye knelt beside the fallen blond as Rowen adjusted him so that his head could be in his lap. Cye dispensed of his sub armor, as did Rowen, so they could handle Sage gently. Cye used a forefinger to pull back one of the blond's fluttering eyelids, he gazed at the dilated pupils, before letting go, "Sedative overdose.." Rowen murmured, fingers at Sage's neck taking his pulse, "Irregular..."

"He's burning up," Cye was moaning, "We've got to get him out of here, and to a hospital." 

"We've got to get him out of his sub armor first..." Rowen mumbled. 

Kento joined their huddle, "He ok?"

"No," Cye said, he closed his eyes trying to tempt Sage mentally into waking up for a bit to dispense of his sub armor.

"Guys...?" Mia called to them, she was on the staircase sitting beside Luna's body, "We have a body here. What do we do?"

Ryo raised his head, he had been sobbing. He swallowed hard, "We call the police.... That scientist there, we tie him up, and we give the police this location. Once they hear him talk, they'll know he's crazy, and figure that he....he killed her."

Mia nodded, Yulie ran past the body hurrying to the older boys, "What's wrong with Sage?" he yelled running to the cluster of warriors clad in their street clothes. Ryo dispensed of his sub armor and came over. "We need to get him to a hospital....but.."

"Ok..." Cye breathed. Sage stirred lightly, his sub armor vanishing leaving him in his street clothes. They gasped at the sight of him in the wrinkled plain clothes of a dark green dress shirt and black slacks. His body had wasted away, he was so thin it looked as if one strong gust of wind would blow him away. Cye pulled out of his mind slowly, resting tender fingers on Sage's brow, "It's a mess in there..."

"Lets get him out of here," Ryo spoke gruffly. He looked to Luna's lifeless form, then back to his unconscious friend's, "I can't lose another friend today."

Mia had been the one to call the police from a payphone in the hospital, while Ryo, Rowen, Cye, Kento, and Yulie sat in the lobby of the emergency room waiting for a doctor to come out and speak with them. "His fingernails were blue," Kento kept muttering, and Cye patted his shoulder, but offered no words of comfort that were usually typical of him.

Rowen chewed his nails staring out of the window at the dark sky. Ryo sat with his head in his hands. He couldn't cry anymore, he'd expelled all his tears in that underground lab, but he could think. He thought about the last thing he'd said to her, the last thing she'd said to him...her last word had been his name, she'd wanted to tell him something. How could he have let her die? She shouldn't have been there! Why didn't he tell her no? If he had, she'd still be alive, angry with him, but alive. He could have returned to Manhattan and brought her roses to make it up to her. 

"Ryo she saved me," Yulie tugged at his sweatshirt. "That nice girl with the long hair saved me. If she hadn't of stopped Shikaisen, I would have been dead. She died saving me."

Ryo raised his head to stare at the little boy beside him sadly, Yulie was pale and shaken, but he was ok over all. All he'd needed was a little food and water, the kid was amazing. All the things he had seen and lived through hadn't changed him a bit. "She did save you, huh?"

Luna had died a hero, and her brother's death was avenged. It was all she ever said she wanted...but in her eyes... What would it have been like if the both of them had met under normal circumstances? Maybe he could have come to America with Sage, a trip to see his family, and he could have stumbled upon her. They'd go out on a few dates, and they'd write each other, and maybe she'd come to visit... 

Yulie hugged him tight, and burrowed his head in his shoulder, "Will Sage be all right?" he asked. Ryo sighed, gathering the small boy into his lap and rubbing his back, "Sage is a fighter Yulie, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"You weren't in there with us Ryo. He said a lot of things, he was half-crazy, but he said he wanted to die. What if he meant it, and.."

Ryo shook his head, "No...no Sage would never say and mean anything like that. You said it yourself, he was half-crazy. There were too many drugs in his body, and they were doing bad things to his mind." 

Yulie asked no more questions, taking comfort in Ryo's warmth, and fell asleep after a few minutes of Ryo's gentle rocking.

Sage would be ok.. The gods wouldn't take two people from him on the same day, would they? What kind of reward would that be for a warrior that fought for the greater good, fought for them....? He had turned his head away when the orderlies had taken Sage from them and laid him on a gurney. He ignored the way oxygen was immediately strapped to his face, and how they strapped his limbs down because his bodily tremors were so violent. They pushed him away speaking words of haste in English, only Cye, Rowen, and Mia understood, and they had ushered Kento, Ryo, and Yulie away to the waiting room. 

Mia had sat down and filled out all the personal information about Sage. She had their complete medical records memorized for emergencies, and once again Ryo was grateful to the woman. She'd taken him in, given him a home, she housed his friends, let them rule her house, treated their wounds and nursed them when they were ill. He found on numerous occasion he housed strange affection for the older woman, not sisterly like the feelings of the others...but different. It could almost compare to what he had felt for Luna. The only thing was with Luna it could have happened, with Mia..well, what would she want with an orphaned 16 year old without a dollar to his name? He was a little brother to her, like all the others were, no one special. 

Mia came to join them then, sitting beside Ryo and Yulie, "The police are on there way." She patted Ryo's knee, then ran a motherly hand through Yulie's dark hair, "How long has he been asleep?"

"Not for very long," Ryo said softly. "He's worried about Sage.. Mia, what did the doctors say to you?"

Mia's eyes misted before she blinked, and answered, "Rowen was right, it's a sedative overdose. They asked a lot about how it happened. I made up a story, I told them it had been a suicide attempt, so naturally when Sage wakes up he's going to have to talk to a therapist."

"When he wakes up? So...they think he's going to alright then?"

"We got him here just in time," Mia said with a small smile. "They said he'd have gone into convulsions we may have lost him."

Ryo nodded, letting out a breath of relief, "So how long until he wakes up?"

"Give it a day," Mia said. "Then we'll be able to speak to him, find ut what exactly happen, have him call his parents and let them know he's ok."

"Good... and when will they release him?"

"They want to see what state he'll be in when he wakes up, but they don't think any longer than a week. I don't know if he'll be up to a long flight back home though," Mia said running a hand through her long hair, "we may have to wait on that. The poor baby... They told me as soon as they finish flushing the drugs from his system they'll let me in to sit with him. I don't want him to wake up alone." She covered her face with her hands, "What they did to him...it was so terrible Ryo, and I couldn't help him. I just hung there listening to him scream and cry, and say all sorts of mad things. I was so sure he'd gone insane."

Ryo stiffened with anger....he'd killed the demon, he'd blown him into the next realm, and he wouldn't be coming back to harm his friend anymore, or to kill anyone else. 

"It was just so hard...and then to think that it was Sage down there. I don't think I've ever heard him scream, or cry..or sound anything less than perfectly calm."

Ryo recalled the nightmare he'd had about Sage, "What do you think he'll be like when he wakes up?"

Mia gazed at him and gave a shrug.

A woman in a doctor's coat came toward them holding a clipboard, "The guardian of Sage Date?"

"That's me," Mia stood.

"May I speak with you privately."

"Yes." Mia followed the doctor out of the lobby to the back doors Sage had been taken through.  
  


"Oh no..." Kento moaned, "Why would she take her away like that? You don't think it's bad news do you?"

"He's alive," Cye whispered softly, "and he feels a bit stronger."

Rowen looked to Cye, "You still look so worried."

Cye massaged his temples, it hurt to use his empathic abilities in a hospital. It was hard to tap into Sage's mind to feel him, while trying to block out everyone else. There was just too much pain, grief, and suffering in this place. And Sage's mind...he couldn't actually read it, but his emotions were in turmoil, there was so much going on under his skin that doctors would never know about, "His mind is such a mess," he murmured, "He doesn't know what to feel, and he's still so scared."

"Scared? But we're here now...he knows we rescued him!"

"He's confused," Cye said.

"It's just the drugs, when they wear off he'll be fine, he'll be good old eerily calm Sage again," Kento shrugged, he nodded at his own words, comforting himself.

Rowen frowned, "He's not eerily calm."

Kento shot Rowen a look, "He's just...always in control, Rowen. It kinda weirds me out sometimes."

"He's not always in control," Rowen muttered, "He just knows how to hide what's bothering him, well. He wasn't raised in house where people laugh easy and express what they feel freely, so he doesn't feel comfortable doing it. He's not weird like you think, and it hurts him that you think he is. He tells me things."

Kento frowned, looking surprised to be told that Sage wasn't always perfectly in control of himself, and that he, Kento, could hurt him, "Well..." he didn't know what to say, "He can tell me things too, you know. I can't help what I infer from people's behavior. I'm not a mind reader like him and Cye."

"I'm not a mind reader!" Cye snapped.

"You know what I meant," Kento groaned looking for some help from Ryo. Ryo gave him an apologetic smile that read, "You're on your own."

"Look, fine I'm sorry. Is that better? Now can we just go back to worrying about Sage? At least that keeps you two from trying to bite my head off."

"And keeps your big trap shut," Rowen grumbled under his breath, ignoring the dark look Kento gave him. 

Mia returned after 30 minutes, and all 4 boys looked to her, "He's awake." 

"Can we see him?" Rowen had sprang from his seat like a pouncing lion cub and grabbed her hands, "Is he asking for us? For me?"

Mia blinked rapidly, trying to calm herself at Rowen's reaction. He'd startled her, "He's...not really feeling well. I don't know if he'd want you to see him, but he's been admitted into a regular room, so you can go visit him."

"Not feeling well?" Cye questioned.

"What room?" Rowen demanded.

"Three-thirteen," Mia said, "But he's..." Rowen, Cye, and Kento blew out the room. Ryo was standing slowly so he could set Yulie gently on the chair he'd been occupying, "But he's what Mia?"

Mia looked to Ryo, "He's not quite himself, and he's not much company." 

Ryo nodded, "That's fine, we'll be his company." He jogged out of the room to catch up with his party.  
  


They knocked before entering, and fought over who should go in first. Rowen finally won, by stepping on Cye's foot, and putting an elbow in Kento's ribs. He opened the door, beaming brightly at the blond who sat propped up on two pillows staring palely at him, "Hey Sage! How you feeling buddy?!" He walked to the bed immediately, pulling up a chair, sitting down, and taking one of Sage's hands between his own. 

"Hey Sage..." Cye greeted him with a smile entering and coming to the bed as well, but opting to stand. Ry and Kento filed into the room, "Hey..." 

All four hoovered near the bed waiting for their pale friend to speak. Sage's dull grey eyes landed on each of them drinking that person in, and then roving on to the next. Finally he gazed down into his lap, staring at the hand Rowen had not taken, and watched it clench and unclench the fabric of the stiff hospital blanket. "Hi," he said softly, so softly they almost missed it.

"You feel ok, huh?" Rowen persisted, rubbing the sweaty hand.

Sage shook his head.

"What's wrong? We could get a nurse in here," Cye said placing a hand on his friend's forehead, "You've still got a bit of a fever."

"It's ok, I don't need anything."

"But you said..."

"I'm just a little nauseous, and my head hurts. I'm supposed to feel this way."

"You sure?" Ryo asked from the foot of the bed. He peered at the blond wishing he'd look up and meet their eyes.

Sage nodded again. Cye began to stroke the blond hair back off of Sage's forehead, he was hiding behind the mass like a curtain. "Sage, you want to look at us? We're not that grotesque," Cye said softly to him.

Sage moved his head away from Cye, letting his hair fall back into his face, and took his hand back from Rowen. "You guys don't have to stay here with me. You could find a hotel and get some rest."

Kento blinked looking hurt, as did Ryo. Rowen sighed and let his now empty hands rest on the bed frame. Cye frowned, "Sage, is that what you would like? For us to leave you?"

Rowen leaned forward, "Hey... Sage, I wanna stay in here with you, but if you'd rather I leave..."

"I.... It's..."

"Take your time," Cye said gently.

"I don't know," the blond finally admitted. "I don't feel well, and I'm confused. Do whatever you like, but don't stay for me. I'm nothing to worry about."

Kento rolled his eyes, as Rowen chuckled, and Ryo shook his head, "Dude, do you know how out of our minds we've been about you this past week, and now you're trying to sit here and tell us you're nothing to worry about?" Kento began drumming on the edge of the bed, "Of course you're something to worry about, and we ain't leaving this place without you between us buddy boy."

Cye smirked, "Kento you're such an eloquent speaker."

Kento beamed before he realized Cye was poking fun at him, and glared. Ryo and Rowen laughed, and Rowen reached to take Sage's hand again, "We want to stay with you, until it's time to take you home, ok?"

Sage nodded slightly, still never raising his head. Rowen frowned, Sage never liked to speak without making eye contact. It was how he let a person know he was listening, and how he judged if a person was being honest without using his abilities. Why wouldn't he meet their eyes? He wanted to place his hand under his chin and lift his eyes to him, but he didn't want to risk upsetting the blond. He was too fragile.

"Mia's talking things over with your doctor Sage... she says we may be able to get you out of here in a few days," Cye chatted amiably, he pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed. "You're parents think you're visiting relatives you know? I didn't know you have relatives in New York..."

"New Jersey," Sage corrected him. 

"Oh...what are they like?" Cye questioned, leaning in to hear Sage's answer. Ryo smiled at Cye's technique, he was trying to get Sage to loosen up a bit and talk with them by pretending that trivial things such as the weather and distant relatives were the most important things in the world to talk about. He studied his friend, so thin, and pale, and Ryo bet if he were to suddenly run at him and holler "Boo!' he'd jump.

Ryo was going to have to do a much better job protecting his family. After this day no one in his family would go anywhere without his knowledge. He took a chair near the window away from the others as they sat around Sage's bed trying to coax him out of his shell. He watched them grimly, these were his brothers, as was Yulie, and Mia was his sister...he had no more room for anyone else in his life. Maybe the Fates had been trying to tell him that when he'd thought about letting Luna in...it was his fault for trying to upset the balance. Well he would never make that mistake again  
  


The very next morning Ryo set off alone, taking a taxi to the bridge where he'd had his first intimate conversation with Luna...the one where he'd decided to let her tag along with them to Little Tokyo. That place was were he first felt as if she was more than just a peculiar girl that was helping them out, this was where she became Luna, the potential love interest. He stepped out of the taxi, asking the driver to wait 10 minutes for him. In his hand he felt a rosea ribbon tied to the stem that matched the ribbon she wore in her hair. He walked to the site on the bridge where they'd shared their first embrace, and stood squeezing the rose in his hand. Then he walked to the side of the bridge peering out at the lovely blue waters... a cool breeze blew against his wet face, as his tears flowed. It seemed he did have more tears to spare after all. He said a silent prayer, and heartfelt quiet goodbye to Luna, someone he'd never get to finish knowing, someone he could have loved, someone who could have become part of his world for good...then he tossed the rose into the waters below. He watched as it floated for a bit being caught in a current and carried further along across the waters before it slowly began to sink. He hadn't the heart to see it totally submerge, and he turned away from it, "Goodbye Luna," he breathed, and walked back towards the waiting taxi, slipping inside and closing the door.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note: See I told you it would be different. I hope you liked it. The video moved too fast for me in the end I would have liked to see a few extra scenes in there to show how they dealt with Sage's return. And also some of the subtitles near the end especially when Shikaisen spoke were hard to understand and to put into words, so I fudged he he he. This story is not over yet...and if you'll bear with me, I'll put up the rest as it is written, very soon. These next updates shouldn't take so long since I don't have to watch anymore videos to write them. Please review me, tell me what you think :) ** 


	3. Intermission

Intermission  
  
  
  


"Are you sure you don't want to go visit your family here, Sage?" Cye asked Sage, closing the windows to Sage's room. Cye always kept Sage's windows open in the hospital to let the light in. Sage was so partial to light, he needed it like air. Though now he tended to cringe from it, and turn his head. He begged Cye to close the windows and shut the blinds... but Cye could see the positive changes in Sage's complexion. He had been so pale, his skin translucent, the sunlight and fresh air brought a little color to his cheeks. 

Sage shook his head, tugging at the sweatshirt Rowen had brought for him, he also wore a pair of his jeans. The two boys were nearly the same height, Sage only being a fourth of an inch taller. Sage had shocked the doctors with his speedy recovery, and they were ready to release him after 3 days. He ran both hands though his hair, pulling the tangles out of it. Cye turned and frowned, "Sage, why don't you comb your hair? We're about to go out in public. You know how you are about your appearance..." 

Sage lowered his head after glancing at Cye for a moment, and shrugged. Cye let out a soft breath, Sage barely spoke 5 sentences a day, and most of them were to him, and he never held anyone's eyes for longer than a second. "Are you certain? I've gone down and purchased you a lovely grooming kit."

Sage nodded clasping his hands together and sitting on the made bed. He'd talked to the hospital therapist the day before, and he'd passed the psychiatric evaluation with flying colors. Cye studied him wondering just how hard the test had been.

"Are you excited to be getting out of here Sage? I bet you're ready to get home," Cye said trying to stir some excitement in the dreary blond. He came to sit on the bed next to Sage bumping his shoulder. "Kento's using the last of his lottery money to fly us back first class, how about that? Oh you haven't heard about Kento's misbegotten fortune have you? It's quite a story actually. Do you remember us all sitting around the kitchen table one morning laughing about Kento telling us his Dad was going to buy him a lottery ticket?"

Sage brought a hand to his temple, "Cye please..."

"Oh," Cye stopped his story telling, "am I bothering you Sage? Maybe I'm talking too much? I can be quieter, I was just trying to make conversation. It can get too silent in here, Sage. Maybe, you could talk about something, and I'll listen for a change, how about that? Whatever you want to talk about...go ahead."

"When are we leaving?" 

Cye glanced at his watch, "As soon as Mia comes back with the doctor, he wants to speak you before you leave."

Sage groaned slightly, slumping a bit, the most expression he had shown in three days, "It shouldn't take long Sage, and we'll be with the others in the lobby and getting into the cab before you know it."

Sage sighed and began to play with hands. Cye sat still humming to himself, and dangling his legs. If Sage wanted to say anything else, he would be ready to listen. The door to the room opened, and Mia and Sage's doctor entered, "Hello Sage, Cye...How are you both?"

"Wonderful thank you," Cye said politely, "How are you Dr. West?"

"I'm quite good myself. Sage?"

Every one looked to Sage who said "I'm good," in a low voice keeping his eyes to the floor. "Ready to return home I see."

Cye smiled.

"Your charts and samples look very good Sage, and there is no reason why I should keep you here any longer, unless you feel that maybe you'd like to stay. Maybe we could arrange to get another room for you, and Dr. Sims, who you met yesterday, was quite taken with you. She'd love to talk with you some more."

Sage shook his head, "I'm ready to go home."

"Alright then," Dr. West said, "You are free to go."

Sage slid off the bed allowing the doctor to pat him on the back on his way out. An orderly stood outside with a wheel chair, and instructed Sage to sit down. Sage sat with no argument, and Cye frowned. His Sage would have insisted on walking out on his own two legs, he was much too proud for wheel chairs or crutches. 

Mia and Cye walked behind the wheel chair as the orderly pushed it bidding goodbye to Dr. West and Nurse Pam.   
  


"Hey!" Rowen exclaimed seeing the wheel chair approaching. He, Ryo, and Kento were standing outside the taxi-van they had reserved to take them to the airport. "Looking good bro," Ryo nodded to Sage, holding out a hand to him to pull him up from the wheel chair. Sage didn't take the hand, and boosted himself up from the wheel chair. 

"Take care of yourself, kid," the orderly that had pushed Sage out said, he nodded to each of them before wheeling the chair around and going back up the ramp into the hospital.

"You hungry?" Kento asked Sage suddenly, "Our flight's not for a few hours, and my Uncle hasn't gotten a chance to meet you. He's got a great restaurant in Manhattan. He'd be ecstatic if we showed up again, he wants to do something for us..you know... cause of.." he shrugged, looking down at his shoes, as everyone shot him cautious looks. He was approaching the topic of the "incident." 

They looked at Sage warily, the blond didn't even seem as if he were paying attention. He looked to the taxi van, his face unreadable as always. "Wherever you guys want to go."

"Oh come on Sage, do you want to go or not?" Kento badgered him a bit, moving to stand in front of his, trying to meet "the eyes" that used to make him so nervous. He was forgetting their color he hadn't seen them in so long. He reached out and did the unthinkable catching Sage under the chin and forcing him to lift his eyes. The reaction was immediate, the instant Kento's hand made contact with Sage's chin and gave it the slightest hint of a flick upward, Sage struck. His hands had become fist and he struck Kento hard in the chest, causing Kento to stumble backward a bit. Sage still wasn't up to full strength, if he had been Kento would have had the wind knocked out of him, "What the hell?"

Sage, quick as a cat, got inside the taxi van, crawling to the back seat moving to the window. "What the..." Kento was still sputtering, as Cye, Rowen, Ryo, and Mia stared their mouths forming tiny o's of surprise. Had they all seen that? 

Kento's face was flushing with anger, "Hey... I was trying to be nice to you! And it would be nice if you could show some respect to my Uncle! He was the one that put us up here so we could look for your ass!"

"Kento!" Cye yelled.

Rowen and Ryo had grabbed the larger boy and were fighting to keep him from climbing into the small van after Sage. "Kento calm down... you don't even know.."

"He's being an arrogant little snot! Hasn't said two words to any of us. Did he even say, 'thank you for saving my ass,' once?"

"Kento shut the hell up before I make you!" Rowen yelled shoving Kento hard. "Guys stop it!" Ryo got between the two red faced warriors. Mia had gone to the passenger door of the taxi-van trying to calm the nervous driver who didn't want violent customers riding behind him. 

Cye crawled into the van after Sage cringing at the loud heated voices of his friends outside. "Sage?" The blond was shaking, and breathing heavily, rubbing his wrists which still sported faint bruises. Cye sat beside him sending off an aura of perfect calm, hoping Sage would pick up on it, and not react hostilely toward him too. Cold sweat shimmered on Sage's brow dampening the hair that fell into his face. "What happened?"

Sage didn't speak, simply brought his hands to his mouth, keeping his eyes shut, a small noise came from him. A whimper? "Oh Sage," Cye put an arm around his friend, frowning at how clammy his skin felt. "You didn't like the way Kento touched you... It reminded you of something, in that place?"

Another whimper and sharp breath, and Sage pulled away from him. "Ok," Cye said, he sensed nothing from Sage, he'd put up a strong shield around himself. "I'm gonna go tell the others you're ok." He slid out of the van closing the door, and glaring at the three boys who stood still arguing amongst themselves, "Will you three idiots please shut up!" he roared. 

Rowen, Ryo, and Kento stopped their bickering to whirl around to stare at Cye. Had he yelled at them? Cye? "He's crying, and you're not helping."

"He's crying?" Ryo asked, looking toward the van. Rowen frowned glaring at Kento, before heading for the van, opening the door, climbing inside, and closing it back.

"What the hell man? What's he crying for? He's the one..."

"Kento, he's been through so much. We don't know what's going on in his head," Cye hissed. "Something you did, the way you touched him... it made him think of that place, and he's in there shaking and sweating bullets!" 

"Well...well..." Kento was sputtering as both Ryo and Cye glared at him. "How was I supposed to know that! He won't say more than two words to us! I'm not good at guessing games!"

"Just go apologize, let him know you're not mad at him,"Ryo said with a sigh.

"Will he care if I'm mad at him or not?" Kento muttered grumpily, before going to taxi-van and letting himself inside.

"I'm really looking forward to a long plane ride home cooped up with them, aren't you?" Ryo said running a hand through his tangled black hair.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Cye said back just as flatly. They both climbed into the van. Mia and Yulie had been who had been watching the argument from the side of the van also got in.  
  


Mr. Chin was joyous to see them again. He hugged Mia and Yulie so tight they thought they would burst. He hugged Sage as well, when he was told that he was the friend the boys had come to retrieve. Sage was very polite, he smiled at all the right moments, and spoke at the right times saying pleasant things. 

"This was how he must have acted when he was interviewed by the hospital psychiatrist," Cye whispered to Mia, who nodded.

The restaurant looked as if nothing had ever happened, and Kento was grateful for that. He wanted to put the last of his lottery money into the repairs, but his Uncle declined his offer with a laugh. 

There was so much food even Kento couldn't fathom eating it all, he tried though. Cye watched him in disgust almost losing his own appetite at Kento's horrible manners. 

"You gonna eat?" Rowen tapped Sage gently. Sage sat quietly playing with his napkin seeming very disinterested in what was going on about him. His grey eyes went to Rowen before dropping back into his lap, "I'm not very hungry."

"You should try a little of it though, just to taste it. It's really good," Rowen coaxed him a bit, careful not to push too hard.

Sage hesitated for a second, then reached for his utensils. Neatly he tucked away a few bites of each entree in front of him. Rowen smiled going back to his lunch. 

"How is everything?" Mr. Chin was playing waiter. He did not sit at the table and eat with the rest of them. 

"Mmmch..mrrch..." Kento nodded, mouth full.

"Just wonderful," Mia said for Kento.

"Sage, are you alright? Would you like another dish, or maybe a dessert would better suit your fancy?" Mr. Chin was frowning at Sage's plate that had such meager portions removed from it. 

Sage shook his head, "I'm fine Mr. Chin, I just don't seem to have much of an appetite today."

"More tea then?" the corpulent man was eager to serve, and Sage seemed not to want to disappoint him in front of Kento, "Yes, thank you."  
  


Sage opted for a window seat on the plane. Rowen sat next to him offering him silent company, which Rowen was sure Sage preferred over Cye's incessant chattering. He reclined in his seat for a nap, taking one last glimpse of his friend who sat rigid with his head turned toward the window. Rowen wondered what he saw out there. Sage had such an incredible imagination, he sketched and wrote short stories that he only showed Rowen. He was much too shy to display them to anyone else, not even his family. Rowen had taken to calling him "Dreamer" within the first year of their acquaintance. He'd always been able to see through "the eyes of steel." It was their cold color that scared people off, Rowen believed, because Sage's expressions were usually rather stoic or thoughtful. There were times when he turned serious that Rowen could see why someone might shudder in his presence, but to view Sage as cold was wrong. He was just quiet, too painfully shy to participate, and too unskilled in the art of friendly jesting to be comfortable. People simply misread Sage. It was easy to do, and harder to fix, and people simply were lazy.   
  


Rowen woke again when the stewardess came by with the dinner cart. He sleepily accepted whatever it was she was trying to give him. He took two trays, one for him, and one for Sage. He turned to his friend expecting to find him asleep, and was surprised to find him in the same position still staring out of the window at the darkening sky. "Sage?" No answer from the bewitched blond. Gently Rowen tapped him to try to get his attention. "Sage, hey, Sage." 

"Not hungry Rowen," Sage said softly, never turning his head.

"You sure? I know it's plane food, but it smells ok."

Sage was quiet yet again, having given his verdict he obviously didn't feel obligated to carry on any more conversation with Rowen. Rowen frowned, holding the extra tray, and wondering what to do with it until the stewardess came back. 

"Extra tray?" Kento's head popped over the seat his eyes large and greedy. His hands were already reaching for the entree. Rowen rolled his eyes and passed the tray to Kento, "Thank Sage, it's his."

Kento shot a concerned gaze in Sage's direction, "According to Cye, he hasn't eaten a thing all day."

"He ate a little at your Uncle's place, but not enough to feed a bird."

"Wanna get his attention, see if he'll eat now?" Kento asked meeting Rowen's blue eyes and waiting for him to nod. Rowen simply sighed and shook his head, "He's not going to Kento."

Kento frowned, "What's he looking at, Ro?"

"The sky," Rowen sighed. "The Dreamer's forever looking at the sky, he finds something new that intrigues him about it everyday."

Kento gazed at Sage softly, "What do you think is intriguing him today?"

Rowen sighed, gently reaching to touch his blond friend's shoulder. No reaction, not even a slight jump, "He's probably wondering...as always will he ever be able to rise and join the heavens some day, except today, he's wondering, hoping, if that day will come sooner than he'd once wanted it to."

Kento stiffened, "You don't think...."

Rowen rubbed Sage's shoulder, trying to get the blond to turn to him. Sage continued to stare vacantly through the window, "I always said that one day he was gonna get lost in one of those dreams of his," he murmured. I just didn't know that day would come so soon. 


	4. Episode 3

**A/N: Hello, I just want to say thank you to every one who has given me reviews. They really inspire me to want to work on this story and crank out new chapters faster lol. Although the faster I get the chapters out, the shorter they tend to be. I'm sorry about that, but on a good note I have been working on this story non-stop. I think updates will come out much faster from now on, until I'm finished :). But until then bear with me bad grammar and all, lol. I swear one day I will learn how to use a comma correctly! Thanks for reading, and please review. **

  
  


Episode 3 

"Jet lag sucks," Kento was grumbling as he lumbered into the kitchen. "I swear I slept for more than half of the plane ride, I slept all day and night after we got in... and I'm still tired as hell!" 

"Stop complaining Kento," Cye said rolling his eyes. He flipped another pancake, and then set the finished product down on the growing tower of golden pancakes. 

Kento snatched the one just settled off the top and stuffed it into his mouth, "I know it's burning the roof of my mouth, but I swear I'm too tired to feel it."

"You've done a lot of swearing this morning," Cye said pouring more batter onto the griddle. Kento frowned taking another pancake, "I thought you hated making pancakes Cye. The only ones we ever get are the hockey pucks Mia makes."

Cye watched the pale batter fan into a circular shape and begin to bubble around its edges, "Hmm...?"

Kento made his way to the fridge to pull out the orange juice, "The pancakes, you hate making them."

"Oh... I don't know, I just felt like it this morning."

"I know you are as tired as I am, and you and being tired is usually not pretty. You did not wake up this morning in such a great mood that you decided to make something you hate. What...oh..." his sleepy brain finally awoke. Sage liked pancakes. 

Cye rolled his eyes over to Kento, "Figure it out?"

"Yeah... cool. I guess I'd better stop eating them all then."

Cye blinked looking dumbfounded, "Kento? Are you being... compassionate?"

"Uhh..." Kento took a big swig of orange juice directly from the carton, and Cye groaned loudly, "Oh never mind!"

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

Rowen woke late, as usual when left to his own devices, but due to jet lag he was sure his friends were probably just getting up themselves. That meant, maybe he'd get a taste of breakfast. If he could beat Kento down the stairs. He slid out of bed to stretch, and glanced over at Sage's empty bed beside his. Of course Sage would be up before him. He'd probably been up at the butt crack of dawn. Rowen yawned and left the room to take a shower. 

The bathroom door was locked. He knocked a few times, hopefully Cye wasn't in there. He was known to take long bubble baths, and to sink down in the tub until the water covered his ears. "Hello?" He called, "It's Rowen, anyone taking a bath in there?"

No answer.

"Well I need a shower, can I come in?" 

Silence.

Did someone accidentally lock the door and close it? It happened from time to time, "Anyone in there?" Still nothing. Ok, time to pick the lock. He ventured to Ryo's room. He knocked briefly before entering. Ryo sat up in bed with a start, blankets falling away from his bare chest, "Wha....? Ro? What are you...?"

"Somebody locked the bathroom door by accident. I need something to pick a lock with..."

"So you're going to use my shoelaces?" Ryo questioned, "Why not your own? You woke me up to steal my shoelaces!? Argh!" He flopped back in bed, then sat up. "I gotta pee." He hopped out of bed and snatched the shoelace Rowen was retrieving from Rowen's hands and breezed out of the room.

"Hey! I need a shower!"

"Yeah... that's a good idea too," Ryo said, a smile growing on his face as he quickened his pace to the bathroom door. He heard Rowen running behind him. 

"Ryo you shit! You know I got to the bathroom first this morning! I got first dibs!"

"Hey, you left. Move your feet, lose your seat."

Ryo laughed as Rowen leapt onto his back, struggling to bring Ryo to the ground. True, Rowen was taller than Ryo, but he was so damn scrawny, Ryo was sure he weighed more. He continued to walk with Rowen struggling on his back. He stuck the end of his shoelace into the lock hole in the door knob and began to wiggle it around. "Tell you what, I'll pee, you shower. I can wait to be clean, I'm gonna work out after this."

Rowen nodded sliding off of Ryo's back, "Good choice, Ryo."

Ryo snorted and the door came open as he pushed it, slightly. It moved as if there were a heavy weight resting against it on the other side. "What the hell...?" Suddenly the door was closing again, with a hard slam that rattled the wall. 

"I thought you said nobody was in there?" Ryo questioned Rowen who shrugged. "I called like 5 times and no one said anything."

"Hey, sorry about that. Who's in there? I need to pee!"

Quiet.

"What gives?" Ryo whispered to Rowen. They both glanced at the door, and suddenly had the same idea, "Sage? That you in there? Are you ok?"

Nothing.

"Get back, I'm gonna kick the door in..."

"No you idiot. You saw the way the door moved when you pushed it. He's gotta be sitting right up against it!" Rowen hissed.

"Well how else are we gonna get in? He could be doing...." His voice tapered off, and Rowen stared at him wide eyed, "Shit."

"Can I kick it in?"

"Yeah, just don't be all Bruce Lee about it. Just knock it off the hinges to where he can't close it again," Rowen nodded.

"Sage...I'm gonna break the door. You might wanna move."

"Please leave me alone."

Ryo and Rowen froze at the soft voice. "What are you doing in there?"

Nothing.

"Sage?"

"Go away."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." 

"You don't sound fine. Why can't one of us come in? I really do have to pee," Ryo said lightly. "I won't bother you or anything."

Silence. 

"Ok...door's coming down. Stand back Sage," Ryo said giving Rowen a nod. He took a deep breath and delivered a swift kick to the door that knocked it neatly off of it's metal hinges. As it began to fall forward Ryo moved in to catch it. He looked into the bathroom to see nothing looked terribly out of place or obscenely wrong. "Sage?" The blond moved out of the path of the door, his eyes grey eyes red rimmed and wet with angry tears, "Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" he demanded. Ryo lowered the door to the floor, vaguely hearing the sound of feet coming up the stairs. 

"Sage, what...?" He wore nothing but a bath towel around his waist, the exposed parts of his flesh were an angry red, as if he'd been scrubbing himself with sandpaper. 

"Can't I even take a bath in peace?" 

"You wouldn't answer us..."

"The door was locked."

"We didn't think anyone was inside. Why are you all red? What did this to your skin? Rowen brought himself close to his best friend trying to take one his arms and look at the raw flesh...portions of it was bleeding. "Sage?" Sage stepped past Rowen trying to dash into the hallway but was trapped by Kento's bulk in the fallen doorway. "What's going on here?" He caught Sage by the arms, and nearly jumped when Sage cried out in pain, "Woa...hey Sage, what the hell happened to you?"

"You're all scraped up," Cye observed.

"When did this happen?" Mia pushed herself between Kento and Cye, and took Sage by the hand to look him over. Sage paled, his eyes huge with an emotion none of them could quite fathom. He shook his head, damp blond hair flinging water in every direction, and once again tried to bolt out of the small room. Kento grabbed at him again, holding him tight despite his cries of pain and protest, "When did this happen, and how?"

"Look at this..." Cye was murmuring looking at Sage's arms, legs, and torso, "How's his back?"

"As bad as the front," Rowen muttered. He touched the hot skin, his eyes darkening with suspicion. He backed toward the tub and pulled open the shower curtain. A pocket of steam hit him like it was escaping from a tea kettle. In the tub was small face towel stained with blood. He frowned as he reached down and lifted the towel, he held it out to Ryo who took it. "What's this.... blood? Where did it..." His blue eyes looked from the tub, to the towel, to Sage in sudden understanding. 

"You did this," he said simply.

"Huh?" Kento's eyes went round as he stared at Sage. Cye and Mia looked horrified. Rowen simply nodded, "You took a scalding hot bath, and scrubbed yourself raw. Then you got out of the tub and collapsed against the door."

"If you already know, then why humiliate me further by keeping me here!" Sage spat angrily trying to free himself again, "Let me go!"

"Why?"

"Why should you let me go?" Sage sputtered indignantly, flushing to match his reddened skin.

"No, why did you do that to yourself," Kento gave Sage a shake. "Man, you've been acting funny ever since New York. You been through so much, and well, maybe it's time you talked to us about it. You talked to that shrink and got her to think you were ok, but that was bullshit. What did those jerk-offs do to you?"

"Let me go!" Sage struggled against Kento only to be brought against his chest in a restrictive bear hug. "Not until you talk to us, Blondie."

Sage's only responses were grunts of exertion as he fought to get out of Kento's hold. Cye looked on with concern, as did Mia. Ryo and Rowen looked ready to assist Kento in holding Sage in one place. 

"We only want to help you Sage," Ryo said comfortingly, he approached the angry blond, and laid a hand on his bare back. Sage gave a scream loud enough to wake the dead, "Leave me alone! Stop touching me!"

Cye frowned, "Kento, perhaps you should let him go. Remember how he reacted the last time you touched him in a way he didn't like?"

Kento strengthened his hold, "He ain't breaking this hold Cye, I don't have to worry about any retaliation from him. Come on Blondie, we're gonna take you to your room so you can get dressed. Then we're going to have a nice little chat over some pancakes. Cye made them just for you."

Kento hefted Sage over his shoulder like a caveman and backed out of the bathroom. Ryo and Rowen, and Cye followed. Mia excused herself, knowing she should not interfere with what was happening. It was a good thing Yulie's parents had picked him up from the airport, and took him home with them. He didn't need to be there to see his heroes at such a disadvantage. White Blaze met her at the base of the stairs and nuzzled against her leg, "You gonna keep me company, huh?"

The tiger purred and followed her into the kitchen where she collected her car keys, "Come on boy, let's go for a drive."  
  
**********************************************************************************************************************************************

Sage got dressed in the closet with the door closed as Cye, Ryo, Rowen, and Kento waited for him to come out. Kento stood blocking the door so that Sage had any ideas about making a beeline for the door, he'd be stopped. Ryo, Rowen, and Cye sat on Rowen's bed. They gazed at each other in silence wondering what was about to commence, as the closet door opened.

Sage stepped out dressed in an oversized t-shirt and baggy jeans he'd obviously taken from Rowen's side of the closet, his hair was a golden disarray of waves. The others blinked at his appearance that could only be labeled as...sloppy. Sage Date was never sloppy, in anything. He always took great pride in his appearance. Or always had taken, for the past few days he'd been wearing what was given to him by the others, and leaving his hair a mess. Well as messy as his blond mane could be, it was too fine to really tangle and look wild. "Why don't you sit down?" Cye said gently gesturing to space in between him and Rowen. 

Sage looked at the empty space, then at his empty bed and moved toward it to sit. "Ouch. That hurts," Rowen said trying to lighten the mood, and catch Sage's eye. Sage stared at his feet his blond hair once again becoming a veil over his face. 

"Well," Cye said after a short uncomfortable silence, "how are you feeling Sage? Did you sleep well?"

Sage said nothing, so Rowen answered for him, "He didn't sleep at all. I think the last time he slept was the night we rushed him to the hospital. Am I right Sage?"

Sage gave a sigh, and brought his hands up to rest on his cheeks, elbows on his knees. Rowen rolled his eyes and stood up walking to Sage's bed and taking a seat beside him. "Sage...can I touch you?" 

"No."

"Just wanna put an arm around ya, you're shaking buddy." He was, from the other side of the room the others could see the fine tremors running through the troubled warriors frame. 

"Dammit," his voice was softer than a whisper, his shivering slowed in a way that let his friends know he was fighting to get control of his body's stress reactions, and mask himself from them. 

Rowen practically growled at him, "No, you will not put on a show for us like you did for those doctors." He put a strong arm around Sage pulling him close to his slender body wanting to feed some of his warmth to his best friend. Sage tensed but didn't try to pull away from him. "Tell us what happened to you, Dreamer. Tell us what they did, and how it's making you feel now, so we can help you. It's eating you up inside, and it's eating us too, cause we're watching you fall apart and are helpless to stop it. Maybe we can make it easier for you."

"I don't deserve easier..." He was rigid and cold in Rowen's one armed embrace.

"Why do you say that?" Cye asked, switching beds as well, and coming to sit on Sage's other side. 

"Please..." Sage pleaded again wanting to shrink away again, but he was surrounded. "I don't want to talk about it...not at all."

"You can't go on like this, Sage. You have to let it out," Cye said softly. "I can feel how bad your hurting, and you would feel so much better if you would just..."

"Get out of my head!" Sage shrieked, giving Cye a good shove and moving very quickly to get off the bed and rush toward the door. Ryo was faster, he rolled from Rowen's bed and threw himself in Sage's path bringing him down onto the floor in a heap of arms and legs. 

"Get off me!" Ryo held Sage down as he fought and screamed. He was panicking, Ryo realized, and he was afraid the blond would soon be in hysterics. He let him up gently, moving to sit on his knees as he watched the blond make a mad dash out of the room not bothering to slam the door after himself. They heard his clumsy speedy footsteps down the stairs, and winced every time they heard him take a spill, but he'd get right back up and begin again. 

"What the hell did you let him up for Ryo?" Kento asked, walking to Ryo and laying a hand on his shoulder. His voice was dazed, rather than angry as he question might have suggested he was. 

Ryo shook his head, "He was scaring me Kento. He was working himself into a panic attack."

The silence from Cye and Rowen's part of the room was broken with a slight sniffle. Ryo and Kento gazed over in their direction to see that....Cye was crying, and Rowen had put an arm around him to comfort him.

Kento helped Ryo to his feet, and they made their way over to the bed, "What's wrong?"

Rowen looked up from Cye's bowed head, "He's still sensing Sage."

Cye raised his head and wiped his eyes, surprised to find Ryo and Kento so near..."Where...where's Sage? Where's he gone?"

"He ran out. I let him go, he was freaking out," Ryo said frowning when Cye's features contorted in fear.

"You let him go? You...did he leave the house? Oh gods..." Cye jumped up from the bed pulling Rowen with him, "We've got to find him, now."

Kento, Ryo, and Rowen jogged after Cye who had bolted out of the room. Just as they reached the base of the stairs they heard the roar of an engine in the drive way. "Shit..."

"Cye?" Rowen asked.

"We'll have to call the police...we'll call them and give them the licence plate number to Sage's car, and give them Sage's description. We'll tell them he's on medication, and shouldn't be driving, and to bring him home..."

"Cye?" Ryo asked, fear building inside him.

"Perhaps we..."

"Cye?!!" Kento grabbed the auburn haired teen by the shoulders and shook him, "What is it?"

Cye's light blue eyes went wide as they stared into Kento's darker ones, "He felt so hopeless Kento, so undeserving, fouled, and...and dishonorable. I....I'm afraid of wait he'll do when he's alone. You saw what he did to himself in the bathroom. It was some sort of self punishment. If he did that with us here, what will he do alone?"

Ryo blinked, Kento gasped.

"I'll call the police," Rowen said shakily running to find the nearest phone.   
  
**********************************************************************************************************************************************

Hours later, after the sun had set there was still no sign of Sage. The police had been polite enough to do a swift search looking for Sage's car, but found none fitting its description. They told them to call back if Sage had been missing more than 24 hours, and they would be more thorough. 

Ryo, Rowen, and Kento had gone out with White Blaze in search of the lost blond, hoping that maybe the tiger would have better luck than the police at finding their comrade. They had taken Mia's jeep and let the big cat run alongside it.

Mia and Cye sat by the phones in the downstairs parlor waiting for a call. Please let someone find him. Mia absently cracked her knuckles and stared vacantly at the empty fire place. Someone should start a fire, that would be nice. It would take the chill out of the room. She looked to Cye, about to suggest it to him. Cye sat tense, his hands in his lap were shaking. He felt guilty. He was blaming himself for not stopping Sage from pushing him away, and not crying out to Ryo to not let Sage get away from them. Now he was lost. 

"Cye," Mia said softly. Cye turned his head away from her, knowing what she had to say already. "Cye, stop it." His body tensed even more as she reached for him. She grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and brought his adolescent thin body to hers and held him tight, his back against her chest. "You have to stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

"If he's hurt....if he's dead...it will be. I knew! I knew he was feeling so wrong, and I let him push me away! I left it up to the others to catch him, but they didn't know, they couldn't have! Gods, if Rowen had what I do, he wouldn't have let Sage out of his sight. Oh Mia...I'll never forgive myself, ever." 

She rocked him back and forth even after his sob subsided, and stroked his hair. They'd all been through so much to be so young, and every now and then the gods felt the need to remind them cruelly that they were still human children. 

The phone rang suddenly, startling them both out of their trances. Cye nearly knocked the phone off the table as he lunged for it, "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Officer Asano with the Toyama Police Department calling to confirm the licence plate number of a vehicle you called in earlier. Is this the Koji residence?"

"Y...yes," Cye's voice shook.

"We've located the vehicle about 2 miles outside of town."

"And the driver?"

"There was no driver present, the keys were left in the ignition, driver's side door open. Looks like the driver got out in a hurry. We had a few men scout the area, but no one fitting the description you gave has been located nor even seen in the area."

"Oh gods..."

"What would you like for us to do with the vehicle?"

"Tell me exactly where you found it...and leave it there please. We'll come and pick it up shortly."

Officer Asano waited for Cye to get a sheet of paper, and then told him the car's precise location.

"A few officers will be waiting for you to arrive."

"Alright, thank you officer. Good night," Cye hung up the phone, and raised his eyes to meet Mia's fearful gaze. "They've found his car, but no Sage."

"Oh no."

"We're going out there where the car is Mia. The police can't find him, but I bet I can."

"I'll leave a note for the others."

'I'm coming Sage....please don't have done anything stupid.' Cye followed behind Mia folding and unfolding the paper he held that had the directions drawn on it. Mia scribbled down a short note, doodling the direction Cye showed her, then she collected her car keys. They climbed into the jeep, headlights cutting through the thick blackness before them.

'I'll never forgive myself...ever.'  
  


To Be Continued...


	5. Episode 4

**Author's Note: It's me again! :) Thank you for the reviews, I enjoyed reading them. They made my day. Finals week has been and still is hell, history final tomorrow at 8 am, but reading reviews has really cheered me up. I hope enjoy this next installment, my apologies for its short length. I promise next chapter will be longer. Thanks again, and please review! Take care!**  
  


Disclaimer: Haven't done this in a while. Does anyone really think anyone would actually sue? I mean, if they did, my defense in court would honestly be "I hope you take the 5 dollars you're going to win from suing me, and buy yourself a life." Ok, anyways...Don't own the Ronnin Warriors, don't own Mia, don't own White Blaze, don't own Japan.... yada, yada, lol. You get the point.   
  


Episode 4  
  


The police met them at the site. "There's no sign of a struggle or anything. It just looks like your friend left the vehicle with plans to return. But we've searched the vicinity and found no trace of a teenager fitting his description wandering the area, as the officer that called you has already informed you. Since there is no sign of immediate danger, I'm afraid we cannot start a real search until tomorrow."

Cye stared hard at the officer. Just what kind of a service were they to the people? Who made up the law that a person had to be missing for 24 hours before they searched for them a person could be dead in 24 hours. He bit his nails as the thought burrowed itself into his brain coated with the horrible feeling of hopelessness he'd gotten from Sage.

He's not dead!

He's not.

"Thank you officer."

"Are you planning on looking for him?"

Cye controlled the reflex of rolling his eyes at such an rhetorical question. "Yes officer. Though you may have no obligation to look for our friend until morning, we do."

"It is getting dark, sir. It might not be wise for you and the girl to be out here alone," the officer said.

"But it's wise for my friend to be out here all alone?" Cye questioned, raising an eyebrow, he hoped he hadn't sounded too sarcastic. Damn that Rowen for rubbing off on him.

The officer looked at him sharply, "It's the law. I'm not saying I agree with it. Do you have any other friends who would be willing to come out here, and help you search? It's not safe."

Cye was about to retort again, when Mia put herself between him and the officer, "Yes, we do officer, and we are going to wait in our car for them to arrive. Thank you for everything, and we will call you first thing in the morning if we have not found Sage, or if he has not returned home by then."

The officer nodded, "And if he does return, or you find him, call the station so that we will know to cancel the report."

Mia agreed, "Thank you officer."

The officer tipped his hat to her, then went to join the other three officers that had helped with the small search of the area. Within minutes they had departed from the scene leaving Cye and Mia alone.

"Are we really going to wait for the others to show up, Mia? You know I can take care of the both of us if any trouble should come our way," Cye said, with no trace of arrogance in his voice. 

Mia sighed, "No Cye, we will look for him now. I'm afraid for him. I was in the bathroom this morning as well, if you don't recall. He's out here somewhere hurting alone."

Cye shivered wrapping his arms around himself, the evening breeze was warm, yet he was chilled. Please don't be stupid, Sage... We leave that to Kento, remember? He bit his lip on the small sob that wanted to leave his mouth. If Sage was dead, he would feel it right? The web that connected him to the others was awfully quiet on Sage's end. But then it had been quiet since they'd gotten him back. Sage was shielding himself from the others, but being an empath like Sage, Cye was able to pick up on it. "Lets go now Mia. If the others come, they'll be able to find us easily through the bond and White Blaze."

"Can't you find Sage through the bond?"

"No."

Mia didn't ask why not. Perhaps she didn't wish to know. 

"So where do we start?"

"Obviously he's not close...." they looked into the growing darkness of the wood.

"Perhaps we should wait for the others," Mia shuddered, as she heard the voice of an animal cry out to the graying sky. 

Cye turned to look at her, sensing her fear and hesitation. He walked to the jeep removing the large camping flashlight they had brought. "You stay here then, Mia, and wait for the others. I'll go in search of Sage myself."

"But Cye..."

"I can take care of myself Mia," Cye said softly. "And I believe I can find my way back."

"Be careful," Mia whispered, lowering her head and sliding back into the jeep. Cye heard the click of the doors locking, then set off into the woods after his friend.   
  
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"Damn police," Rowen was grumbling. After arriving at the manor empty handed, and reading Mia's note, they had eaten a quick meal and set off to join Mia and Cye. They were on foot, covering ground quickly in their sub armors. They'd spent half the day searching the woods around the manor, and in nearby rural areas. 

"Why can't we feel him?" Kento asked, his voice quiet. Both Rowen and Ryo shot wary looks at him. Kento never sounded that uncertain. Did he think that...? No, no...

"He's walling himself off from us," Rowen said quickly, shaking his head at any other reasons why they wouldn't be able to feel Sage. If he concentrated hard enough, he felt a tiny flicker from Halo that let him know he was still alive. It wasn't like it was in New York. No, not like that place. 

"In New York we couldn't feel him either, and he was as good as dead strung up on that torture device. What if...?"

"Shut up Kento!" Rowen roared, almost stumbling over himself. Traveling at such a fast pace and losing one's temper was not a good thing. It distracted him from keeping track of his footing and surroundings. If he fell, he could seriously hurt himself. He did a quick skipping step to catch his balance.

"Easy Rowen," Ryo said calmly. "There's no need to bite Kento's head off. It's unnerving to feel someone cut off from the web, even if they may be cutting themselves off purposefully, rather than...hurt."

Hurt... to be gone from the web meant more than being hurt. They'd feel his pain through the web if he was hurt. To feel nothing meant death, or something close to it. Sage stop torturing us. We know you're hurting, but you have to let us know you're alive! Please, Dreamer... 

Let me know.

Let me help.

  
  


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Keep moving, keep moving, he pushed himself. His legs screamed, his heart pounded, and his lungs burned. They all wanted him to stop. When had he become so weak? Weeks of being immobile, being bound and chained like some animal, had led to some muscle deterioration. Weeks of being fed mild altering chemicals had made his body dependent. Weeks of being polluted with drug induced hallucinations, and hearing the demented voices of that demon, and the scientist in his head, had left his mind..shattered. Reality had become a distant dream to him. When he slept, when he woke, it was all the same. The pain, the torture, the shame... there was no release from the horrible nightmare. When he'd first believed he'd woken up, Rowen had been there. His friends had come to save him, the nightmare was over... But he'd been tricked! He'd been tricked horribly! The nightmare wasn't ending, it was just taking on a new sequence. 

He had to wake up, he had to! He couldn't trust his eyes, his body, his mind... He was plugged into the damn matrix! Someone get him out! 

The ground was hard beneath him as he fell. He felt the painful tearing of flesh, and felt more warm blood escaping its new wound and wind down his shin. Pain was an illusion. He pushed himself to his knees, then stood to his feet to start his run again. The tall grass scratched at his sensitive skin, rocks cut through the thin soles of his shoes licking hurtfully at his feet. It wasn't real.

The beauty of the nature surrounding him called his name, but he couldn't hear it, didn't want to. It was an auditory hallucination. The demon still had him, and was trying to fool him once again. It wanted him to feel safe, it wanted to lull him into a soft submissiveness, then he would attack. No, Sage would never let himself be that weak again! The armor...the damn armor! It attracted such evil, all of the time. More evil than good...more evil than good. If he could destroy it, he would. But even if he called upon the armor then, and tried, and was successful...it wouldn't have been the real armor of Halo would it have? 

He grabbed at his matted messy hair and tugged in frustration. Wake up Sage, wake up! His legs gave way beneath him and he crumpled to the grassy plain his tears nourishing the ground. What had he done to deserve this? What had he done? He'd been the perfect son, grandson, brother, student, teacher, and warrior. He'd been a good friend, and role model. He had done everything that was expected of him and more. He was good, dammit! 

Why couldn't he just wake up? It was all he wanted... His hands clenched and unclenched over the grass. Maybe...maybe there was a slight chance that he was awake, maybe this horrible place was no dream. 

The scream that boiled from his stomach erupting into his throat, and exploding from his mouth expressed just how he felt about that place being real. He screamed and screamed until he was hoarse. This could not be his world, he did not escape a nightmare for this to be reality! No! No! No!

How could he tell? How would he be able to find out? Who but the gods could tell him truth? The gods... how.... He stopped screaming. 

Ok...time to be rational, Sage. Stop panicking, and think. If this was a nightmare, then he needed to wake up. How did one end a dream? Die. If he died in the dream, he'd have to wake. If he woke, and everything was normal again, no pain, no shame, then he'd know. But if it wasn't a dream, and he died... then it would still be over, the nightmarish reality would come to an end. Then when it was over and he was dead, he could ask the gods why. They wouldn't lie to him, they couldn't. 

Shakily he got to his feet. He gazed about the land. Where would be the perfect place to test out his theory? He began to walk, his sixth sense guiding him through the trees and over the obstacles that would have tripped him. It was so easy now...easy because he had let go. His mind brushed against everything he touched, he wanted to record everything, so when he met the gods he could ask them about it. An owl called from overhead and he lifted his eyes to meet the creature of the night... He smiled when he saw it, the plateau illuminated by moonlight. It looked like an altar to the sky, how perfect. There he would be become an offering to the gods...or there he would wake up. Either way, he'd win. 

He liked winning.  
  
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Cye shifted through the woods swiftly in his sub armor, cursing the branches from the surrounding trees that came to strike him in the face as if telling him he was unwanted. He ignored their un-welcoming gestures, and continued at his pace, dread growing in his stomach. He didn't dare call out to Sage. He didn't want to startle the boy, or give him any reason to run any deeper into the woods. The flashlight was bright, cutting through the darkness like butter, but not showing him anything he wanted to see. No foot prints, no torn clothing, nothing...except. He stopped as the light grazed over something...something red in the grass. He stopped and knelt down shining the light directly upon it. Blood, it was a trail of blood. He followed the trail with the light, his stomach and heart giving a lurch. Blood...

It could be anything, it could be an animal! You are in the woods, Cye, the woods! It was just an animal, caught by a lucky predator. Not Sage...it wasn't his blood. Cye stood the flashlight shaking in his grasp. No, Sage wasn't hurt.... and then it hit him.

He dropped the flashlight as the force of a powerful mind being released seized Cye's senses. "Oh my gods.." he moaned, falling to his knees, as his world spun. He held his head as the throes of heavy emotion rolled over him like the sea... Insanity, a mind gone mad. It was utter chaos to be entrapped in its vision. 

His stomach gave a heave, and he leaned over to loose the contents of his stomach. What..what was this? What had the power to do this? Another demon? Was another demon free? Sage, he was all alone, and in such a state. Would he be able to deal with the monster? 

Tentacles of great desire and need strangled him... he couldn't think... Pleasure, and satisfaction so great.. He couldn't breathe. He had to break its hold, he had to find himself in the chaos. He had to find Sage... Sage's mind was much greater than his, if Cye was this affected then Sage must have been in agony. 

"Armor of Torrent!" His voice was weak and scratchy after the damage he'd done to his throat from vomiting. The armor cloaking his body was added strength, the helmet covering his head served as a shield from the creature. The disorder was beginning to make sense. Something, something was at extreme peace and very happy about it. Cye did his best to relax, he had to get his mind around what this was, and maybe he could learn how to fight it. 

It was beautiful, this mind, bright with colors, soft touches... Only it had been amplified to a painful level, like classical music played on Kento's stereo system. What had given it so much power? Cye felt it calming, its beauty becoming composed until it reminded him of someone. Cool serenity, lovely dreams...he could never view them, but he felt their essence. Such a simple person, always so easily pleased... 

Sage.

It had been Sage; it was his mind he felt. In his turmoil, he hadn't felt the bond of the yaroi call to him. He could sense Sage's presence once more. He was nearby, but moving. Cye could catch him, if he started now, in minutes. 

Cye began to move.... He was relieved to be able to locate his comrade, but troubled. Sage's mind had been so strong, so wild...and now so calm. It was like the quiet before the storm, an uneasy rest. Cye began to move faster, why would he be so upset, so upset Cye feared for his sanity, then be so calm...so pleased...with himself. 

It was like he'd come up with some sort of a decision, a resolution. What could quiet insanity like that? What could give it such pleasure? 

*Sage* he risked open mind-to-mind communication with the Warrior of Light.

Sage was moving faster now, fear taking over. Fear? What was he afraid of? Cye? But why would he fear Cye?

Because Cye would try to stop him.

Insanity, and sudden calm... Turmoil, and then peace, a decision had been made. 

Cye's stomach dropped when he saw him. He was dressed in the same sloppy clothing he'd worn that morning, his hair still unkempt, brandishing the sword of Halo high above his head. The light from the sword violated the darkness of night, and cast an ethereal glow upon its owner. Cye gasped, Sage had never looked so beautiful, or so deadly. The sword was angled, aimed at his chest. He saw Sage's chest rise and fall, his hands readying themselves. His head was thrown back, facing the heavens above as if offering them a sacrifice. 

Oh gods...

"Sage no! No!" He was too far away, and now Sage was alerted to his presence. He didn't even look at Cye as he began to bring the sword down to pierce his chest.

Cye steadied himself, he had to be in control. He had one shot, and it had to be true. He took aim calling upon his sure kill, if he could knock the sword from Sage's grasp maybe... maybe he could stop him. But if he lost control, if he missed...Sage wasn't in armor. He could be the very reason he died, he would have killed him.

He braced himself, "Super Wash Smasher!"

He felt the power build and leave him in a blinding display of energy, control it, Cye! The wave curled and stretched reaching out to its target...the Light sword that swayed inches above the tender flesh of his friend's chest that was only protected by a thin t-shirt. 

Concentrate Cye..don't lose control. 

But wait...what was that? He started, and felt his grasp on the wave slip in his moment of surprise. Oh no...

"SAGE!"

He killed him... Cye had killed him.  
  
  
  


**Let me know what you think ;)! Pweeease?**


	6. Episode 5

**A/N: It's me again! Sorry, I took so long to get back to this story. I've been getting carried away with other stories. I've never been one to just write one story and concentrate on it alone, lol. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter, and send me some feedback on it. I love hearing from ya! ;)**  
  
  
  


Episode 5  
  


The enormous torrent crashed above their heads as they toppled to the rocky floor of the plateau. Ryo draped himself over Sage, shielding his unprotected body with his armor from any backlashes of Cye's attack. The water splashed down upon them, Ryo clinging to Sage tightly as they were washed over the edge of the short incline. Their fall was short, as they were intercepted by Rowen and Kento's high leaping forms. Kento took Sage from him, and Rowen helped him rebound off his body to land on his feet when he hit the ground. 

They landed neatly, Kento bundling Sage like a child, "He's out."

"I landed on him kind of hard," Ryo said sheepishly. "We should check him over and make sure I didn't break anything."

"Someone should go tell Cye he didn't kill anyone," Rowen jerked his head in Cye's direction. The bearer of Torrent had crumpled to the ground and was holding his head rocking himself slowly.

"Oh shit, Cye," Kento grumbled, he looked torn. He wanted to help Cye, but he was still cradling Sage. "I'll go to him," Rowen said patting Kento's back, "Blondie's too comfortable snuggling up against your manly chest."

Kento flushed and began to sputter, but then gazed down at the dozing blond, he did appear to be rather comfortable. Kento armored down to further promote his friend's comfort, as Rowen jogged off to Cye's side.

"I'll hold onto this," Ryo appeared at Kento's side holding the sword of Halo. "And..." he frisked Sage, pulling the kanji ball from his pocket, "this." 

"He was really going to kill himself," Kento murmured watching Ryo armor down and tuck Sage's yaroi into his own pocket. "Wonder how he got the sword of Halo without calling on the armor?"

Ryo shrugged, "I didn't know it could be done either, but if anyone was to figure out of course it would be Sage."

"Sage!" Cye came barreling towards them sans his armor. Kento turned to him so he could see Sage safely bundled in his arms, "He's fine Cye."

"What happened? When did you guys get here?" Cye demanded staring at the slumbering blond his hands hoovering over his form afraid to touch him. 

"We just arrived actually, and sensed you two. We ran right past Mia. We caught sight of Blondie on the cliff, and Ryo jumped up to grab him. Snatched him down right when you released that wave of yours. What were you think anyway man? He didn't have his armor on, you could have crushed him."

Cye lowered his head, "I panicked," his voice was shaky. "I just...I was trying to...I thought I could knock the sword out of his hand if I just concentrated hard enough. You...you guys distracted me! If you hadn't of popped up out of no where and scared me..."

"You shouldn't have tried it," Kento shook his head. "Why didn't you go after him? You're fast enough in your armor."

"He would have sensed any move I was making towards him! He was...running from me, you know."

"Running from you?" Rowen asked as he approached and laid a hand on Cye's shoulder. "Why? I thought..."

"You guys didn't sense what I did from him, did you? If you had, you wouldn't be this composed," a fine tremor ran throughout Cye's body that Rowen could feel. "He...he was...insane. His mind was this mass of chaos, and then sudden calm. When I called out to him, he ran, and I followed. He kept giving me the impression that he was afraid I was going to stop him from doing something."

"We felt both of you in the web...but we didn't really feel anything odd from Sage. It did feel strange for him to suddenly just flare back into the circle, though. I almost fell over at the shock," Ryo said. "But it helped us find you faster."

Cye nodded, "Well I'm glad you did... That was so close."

All four quieted and gazed at their slumbering fifth, "What are we gonna d with him guys?"

"One thing's for certain, he's never leaving my sight again," Rowen grumbled. 

Ryo nodded in silent acquiescence, as did Kento and Cye. 

"We'd better get back to Mia, guys. She's still with the car all alone."  
  


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i He awoke to the artificial sunlight shining in on his face. Soft grey eyes opened to take in unfamiliar drab settings cast in odd shadow. His head turned slowly to meet the light, he winced at the pain of grating muscles moving throughout his neck. He was so stiff. Why? 

Where was he? He tried to sit up, but was so weak. His arms and legs felt like weights were attached to them, and his head swam as he tried to remember where he'd been earlier. 

Drugs, he'd been drugged. When, and who would want to...? The light intensified then, and he shut his eyes against the harsh illumination. Too bright. He was never this affected by bright lights...what had he been given? 

He felt sick and dizzy. Voices were speaking, two voices. He tried to extend his senses to see just what held him, but found he could not. It was like a brick wall being thrown up in his mind. He was cut off from his sixth sense, he couldn't feel the world around him...and the world around him couldn't feel him. He wouldn't be able to call for help...and help was something he felt he was going to need. 

Someone was standing over him asking him questions, "Are you awake?"

He couldn't move his lips to speak much less force his voice from them. He lie still clenching his eyes shut. There was a chuckle, "He's ready Shikaisen."

"Then we shall begin..."i   
  
  
  


The scream ripped Rowen from his world of dreams with long fingered claws. He jolted upright in bed, eyes wide, "What...what?" Being interrupted from deep sleep always left Rowen bewildered. His attention slowly clamped onto the harsh breathing coming from his roommate's side of the room. He pulled himself from bed slowly setting his feet down on the carpet. He stood cautiously, and gripped the bed post at the familiar swirl of vertigo that asked him to dance. He shook his head, he hated being woken up, and no one in the manor seemed to know the meaning of letting someone wake up on their own. He crept to Sage's bed, sitting down on it quickly before he winded up on his face in a heap on the floor. "Dreamer, you ok? Bad dream?"

Sage sat up in bed clutching his damp blankets to his chest heaving in and out. Rowen couldn't see his face, and didn't have the equilibrium to reach for the lamp beside them. "Where...where...?" Sage's rough voice choked.

"Our room Sage... do you remember what happened today?"

"N...no," Sage mumbled. He was shaking so hard Rowen was beginning to feel seasick, "Ok..well maybe that's a good thing. You ok?"

"We're in our room?"

"Yeah."

"In...in Japan? Mia's home?" 

"Yeah Blondie, where'd you think we were?" Rowen rubbed a hand over his sleepy eyes. He crawled closer to Sage taking his soiled blankets from his tense grip, "Oh geez...these are wet. We're gonna have to change these sheets. Why don't ya get outta bed, and I'll go and find you something dry. We'll strip and remake the bed together, ok?" Rowen forced himself to fully wake up, and was about to boost himself off of Sage's bed, when Sage's iron grip clamped onto his arm, "No!"

"No? Sage..."

"Don't leave me alone! He'll get me, I know he will!"

"Sage...Sage, who'll get you buddy, calm down," Rowen sat back and reached to stroke his friend's moist hair away from his forehead. "Sage? You gonna talk to me? Who's going to get you?"

"Shikaisen...he said..." Sage shuddered.'

"Oh Dreamer, it was only a nightmare. Shikaisen is dead, and he'll never be able to hurt you ever again. Don't you remember Ryo using Inferno on him? He never knew what hit him."

"Dead? But...but I..."

"It wasn't real Sage, you were asleep," Rowen said gently. "I'm gonna get you some new bed clothes now, I'll be right..."

"No!" Sage squeezed his arm. 

"Sage you can't sleep in this man..." Rowen sighed deeply, "Fine, we'll both go to the linen closet then."

"No!"

"Sage, you're being ridiculous now."

"You stay here."

"I am not staying on a wet bed!" Rowen snapped, he was grouchy and cranky and tired, and Blondie was starting to get on his nerves. At any other time of day he would have been appalled by his own actions, but that night, "Fine, get up, come on. We'll go to my bed then, come on! I'm tired!" 

He used the blond's hold on his arm to pull him from the bed. He felt the blond yielding to his tug, and he began to fumbled back to his bed. He flopped back down on his rumbled bed sheets and pulled the blond down with him. He grabbed his pillow and brought it under his head as he lie down. Sage sat rigidly on the edge of the bed still shivering his breathing erratic. "Lie down," Rowen instructed. Sage made a small noise before complying, he lie down beside Rowen curling his knees into his chest putting his back to Rowen. Rowen grimaced at the dampness of Sage's thin night clothes, but for some reason as he felt the blond shivering against his back, he knew he wasn't going to be able to convince him to change out of them. Instead Rowen worked the covers from beneath them and pulled them over both of their bodies. "You want a pillow Sage?" The full size bed was ok for two bodies, but Rowen had never gotten used to sleeping with anyone and could make a full size bed seem only big enough for one person. All of the pillows were on his side of the bed, as were all of the blankets. He gently moved a pillow in Sage's direction, frowning when he didn't feel the blond make any moves to take it. "Sage?"

"They touched me Rowen."

Rowen sat up in bed as it someone had given him an electric shock, "Who touched you?"

"...said I felt so fresh and clean," Sage's soft voice murmured on.

"Sage, who?" his teeth were beginning to grind against each other. He was ready to get out his alchemy set and call up a certain demon to beat the shit out of him again. 

"Spirits...so many, so dark. They all wanted me to help them do bad things, Rowen, and I told them I wouldn't. But in the end, I did."

Rowen almost sighed in relief, for a moment he thought Sage was telling him he'd ben raped. "Dreamer, you didn't do anything bad. You fought admirably, and held out longer than any of us could have done. That creep wanted you to put on your armor and you didn't."

"So many souls Rowen, so many lives lost because of me, and what I was too weak to control."

"Sage..."

"It's not my fault. It can't be my fault. You say that, but they say other things, and as long as THEY say that it's my fault I'll believe them."

"Who is they, Sage?" Rowen turned to stare at his friend's back in the darkness. 

"The ones Halo killed, the innocents," Sage whispered. "They won't leave me alone. They think I should die, cross over so they can have their revenge on me. I...I tried. I was going to commit seppuku. But...but that's an honorable samurai death. I'm not honorable, so I was stopped. I shouldn't have been so dumb."

"I thought you said you didn't remember what happened today?"

"It happened today?"

"Yes," Rowen said. "Sage, how long have these...people...been talking to you? Do you hear them often?" He could smell his own fear, had his friend gone insane as Cye had said.

"When I close my eyes...when I sleep. I try not to, but I get so tired. When I closed my eyes in...there....I saw them, heard them. I saw monsters, and demons, and shapes, and heard voices, but most of all, I saw them. I close my eyes now and remember the monsters and demons, but I still see them, and hear them."

Rowen sighed in relief, it wasn't schizophrenia just bad dreams. If Sage had those dreams every night he was beginning to see why the blond hadn't slept since they'd returned. "I'm sorry Sage. Is there anything I can do?" He spoke calmly, being overly emotional at that time wouldn't benefit Sage or himself. He didn't want to scare the blond, or make him stop talking freely to him. He wondered what had freed Sage's tongue. Perhaps it was the late hour and lack of sleep and proper nourishment that made Sage forget he wasn't talking to anyone. 

"Don't leave?"

"I won't."

"Ever?"

Rowen fought back a chuckle at the childish request, "Ever."

Sage shifted a bit in the bed, moving closer to Rowen's warmth, "Ro?"

"Hmm?" Rowen muttered sleepily. 

"Will you stay awake with me?"

Rowen wanted to groan,"Sage, we've been up all day, it's time to sleep."

"Please?" his voice was shaky. "I can't sleep...Please?"

"Sage, come on, it's not healthy. How long has it been since you've gotten a decent's night rest huh? The hospital?"

"No...they drugged me. I woke up feeling disgusting and dirty."

"You haven't had a good night's sleep since you left for the United States. Sage, you're going to make yourself sick." 

"Good, then maybe I'll die."

"Sage!"

"Please Rowen? Just for tonight?"

Rowen sighed. He really shouldn't give in, he should be volunteering himself to get Sage a glass of water and dropping a tranquilizer in it. But then Sage had been fed enough tranquilizers in the past few weeks to last 12 people a lifetime. He'd have to consult a doctor on just what to get to help his friend sleep, but he couldn't do that until morning. He propped himself up on one elbow and rolled his eyes to no one in particular, "Fine Dreamer, fine. Have it your way, we'll stay up. Turn on my light, and pass me my book, would you?"

We'll stay up tonight, and tomorrow we're going to look into your problem. He would have to hold the others at bay, as they would want to get at Sage and yell at him for the suicidal stunt he had pulled that taken 10 years from their lives. After carrying Sage back to the car, and getting him home, all of their energy, physical and emotional, had been spent. Sage had remained unconscious for the entire trip, which was lucky for him, because they all had felt the immediate need to scream at him should one of those grey eyes pop open. Sage hadn't woken up, and Kento had carried him to bed where Rowen tucked him in and collapsed into bed himself. Rowen should have yelled at him then. Sage had scared him to death...but yelling at someone who had woken up screaming and trembling, clinging to you like small child, and willingly climbing into your bed, did not seem appropriate. Especially since Sage had spoken of the incident, he'd actually said something about the time he'd spent in captivity. He'd let Rowen know what was on his mind and bothering him at the time, and it was a positive step in the right direction. Yelling might cause Sage to regress into the boy he was earlier that morning. Rowen would have to make sure they went slow, that no one condemned Sage for his brief waltz with insanity. Ryo and Kento would be hard to calm and convince, but Cye would help him. 

The light came on, and Rowen was able to view his blond friend. He noted the paleness of his skin and the shadows beneath lifeless eyes. Blond hair hung unkempt and dull over his face mussed by sleep, leaving both eyes exposed to view. 

Sage handed him his book, and curled back on his side in fetal position away from Rowen. Rowen opened his book to the page he had left off on, but gazed at his friend instead of reading. His shoulders were tense, his body tight as a drum. 

Shikaisen was lucky he was already dead, because Rowen felt like teaching him things worse than it. No one was ever going to harm his friend again. He rested a hand on Sage's back and rubbed it in slow gentle circles. In the web he felt the tender caress of sleep over the other three warriors in different rooms it connected, and he could also feel the mild appreciation of comfort coming from the blond beside him. Sighing, he tossed the book from his lap, letting it smack gracefully onto the floor, and moved closer to Sage. He laid down taking the slightly trembling boy into his airs, bringing his slight body to his chest, and stroking his hair. The blond seemed to melt into his hold with a slight sough of comfort. "Rowen?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't leave?"

"Never, ever, Dreamer. I promise."

"Thanks."  
  
  
  
  
  


**A/N: You like? You didn't like? Please review :) Take care!**


	7. Episode 6

**Author's Note: Ok, here's the 6th installment. Sorry it took so freakin' long, lol. This story is just about done. I see maybe one more installment, and an epilogue perhaps. I'm working on the next chapter to A Return To Arms as well, don't worry I can juggle (not well, but I can ;) Enjoy, and please review!**

  
  
  
  


Episode 6 

  
  


"They're what?" Kento nearly choked on the eggs he was eating. Ryo sat across from him at the kitchen table eyes still wide with disbelief. "But....I ... gotta see this!" Kento jumped up from the table. Ryo shook his head and followed after Kento.

"Guys, if they're...hey, wait for me!" Cye chased after the two leaving the kitchen and going towards the stairs.

The three stood crammed in the doorway staring in at Rowen and Sage, sleeping comfortably in one bed, Sage cradled in Rowen's arm like a teddy bear with his face buried in Rowen's chest. "Can he breathe?" 

"Forget that, what the hell....?!"

"Can we wake them up and yell at Sage now for scaring the shit out of us?" Kento demanded.

"They look peaceful, we should leave them be," Cye whispered tugging at both Ryo and Kento's sleeves as they continued to gape at the scene before them. 

"But..."

"Come on, breakfast is getting cold. You can yell at Sage all you want when they come out to join us for the day, alright?" Ryo stepped out of the doorway stealthily and helped Cye manhandle Kento away from the door. Gently he closed it, but not before taking one last look at the scene on the bed with a light smile. In the web he felt a warming sense of peace emanating from the both of them. 

Maybe Sage would be ok after all. 

  
  


Rowen was awake long before Sage, and was quite surprised to find that the blond had not only fallen asleep in his arms, but had turned towards him in the night. He stared at the wavy crown of blond hair beneath his chin with a grin; he was sleeping, Sage was actually sleeping. 

Sage was sleeping...and he needed to pee. Dammit, there was no way he could get up without taking the risk of waking the blond. He supposed he was going to have to hold it. Geez... He settled back against his pillow, still staring at the gold of Sage's hair, Dreamer, you're lucky I like you.

  
  
  
  


~*~~*~

  
  


*"All you have to do is put it on. Don the armor and the torture will stop."

White hot electric bolts of pain ran throughout his body causing it to shake against the harsh steel restraints. The voices in his head began to speak louder to be heard over the white noise flooding his senses. 

He wouldn't break...he wouldn't scream. Grandfather.... Grandfather wouldn't scream. Father, Father wouldn't break. Show them, show them your strength, your honor. They'll never get what they want from you, never! 

"I know this hurts, stop being so stubborn boy."

He gritted his teeth, never. He'd die first. They'd have to kill him. The pain intensified; Grandfather wouldn't scream. 

Louder, the voices were getting louder.

Father wouldn't break.

"His will power is impressive Lord... Pain does not seem to be working, and if I keep it up at this level he will die. We'll have to resort to chemicals, and maybe a form of hypnotic suggestion?"

Grandfather wouldn't scream.

"Do what you feel needs to be done."

"As you wish Lord Shikaisen."

Father wouldn't break.

But....but I did both....I did both!* 

  
  


~*~~*~

  
  
  
  


Sage woke with a start, and could barely contain his anxiety when he opened his eyes to total darkness, and was encased in a smothering warmth that stifled his breathing. He pushed against the body, and jumped when it let out a noise of surprise. It had sounded like... "Sage, calm down. It's me, Rowen, Blue Boy."

Sage stopped struggling, as he felt the pressure around his back being released. He was able to scoot away from Rowen, and stare into his face. Rowen lie on his side gazing at Sage curiously with one eyebrow quirked. "Another bad dream?"

Sage felt himself stiffen. Another bad dream? Another one? He frowned, he'd never told Rowen about his nightmares... Had he? He tried to recall the previous day, and found soft orange haze in place of clear memories. 

He sat up slowly trying to get his bearings, and nearly gasped when he realized he wasn't on his side of the room. He glanced down at the dark blue sheets he was tangled in...he wasn't even in his bed. "Rowen.... what am I doing in your bed?"

Rowen chuckled a bit, and sat up as well, ruffling his bed tousled hair, "You don't remember last night?"

Sage shook his head slowly.

"You had a nightmare Dreamer, and woke up screaming. You and me had a little talk, and you insisted I not leave you alone."

"So I climbed into your bed?" Sage asked, looking disgusted with himself.

"No, I kinda dragged you here, cause you wouldn't let me out of yours. We could have slept there, but your sheets were all wet."

"Wet?"

"No, no, you didn't.... Ah geez, you sweated up a storm in your sleep, and the bed was too damp to be slept on. You wouldn't let me change the linens, and I wasn't sleeping on a wet bed."

Sage frowned as he tried to remember... nothing, nothing but haze...and...and...

*"Don't leave?"

"Never ever Dreamer, I promise."*

  
  


"Oh gods, Rowen," Sage let his head fall into his hands, "what's wrong with me? I don't remember anything from yesterday. I... Did something happen?"

It was Rowen's turn to frown, he studied Sage carefully before speaking in a low voice, "Yeah Sage, yeah...something did happen."

"It was bad?"

"Yeah, Dreamer, it was bad."

"Of course it was bad. Why did I even bother to ask? If it's about me, then of course it's bad. Everything is bad..."

"Oh Sage, no. You were...you were just confused yesterday, and you tried to... you tried to hurt yourself. We helped you Sage, and brought you home."

"Why?"

"Why? Because... dammit Sage, stop looking like that!"

"Looking like what?" 

"Like you're beneath me, your eyes...you won't even hold my eyes!" Rowen grabbed Sage by the chin and brought his head up. "Look at me when I talk to you, and when you talk to me!"

Sage jerked his chin away with a glare, "Don't touch me like that!"

"Like what, Sage?" Rowen demanded, growling in frustration when Sage didn't answer him, "Sage, talk to me! Tell me what bothers you so I won't do it anymore...please?"

"I...I don't like to be touched forcefully. I don't like it when people try to....try to move me, adjust me. It reminds me of..." he shuddered. "I was conscious when they strapped me to that torture device. They held me down while they bound my arms and legs, and then they...they used this cold gel and smeared it on my temples, and on other parts of my body and attached electrodes to shock me... And when that didn't work well enough, they started stabbing needles into my skin.... I don't like being touched, Rowen, not anymore..." 

Rowen shut his eyes briefly, wanting nothing more than to hold his friend right then, but knew the human contact would have an adverse effect on the blond. Sage lie back down on the bed, curling up in a fetal position. "What can I do for you Sage? Is there anyway I can help you?"

"No."

"How about I just lie here beside you huh?"

"It's your bed."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"You need to eat, Dreamer. You're wasting away."

"Good."

"Well, *I'm* starving."

"Go eat then."

"I'm not leaving you alone."

"I won't go anywhere."

"Sage...I don't trust you not to hurt yourself buddy, not right now. If you starve to death, then I'll starve right along with you."

"Baka."

"Maybe."

Rowen sighed deeply and pulled himself out of bed. There was no arguing with Sage that morning. He pulled a sweatshirt over his head and pulled a pair of gym shorts over his boxers. "I'll be back."

He stared at Sage's silent form wistfully before exiting the room, leaving the door open a crack. He traveled down the stairs, mind planning out the quick breakfast of toast and coffee he would have before running back to his room. The aroma of eggs and bacon wafted from the kitchen, teasing his olfactory senses into telling his stomach it wanted more to eat than it actually needed. He entered the kitchen, casting glances at Ryo, Cye, and Kento who gazed up at him oddly.

"What?"

"Where's Sage?"

"In bed," Rowen nodded, pouring himself a cup of coffee, "he won't come down."

"Oh."

Rowen grabbed two slices of bread and popped them into the toaster. He turned to look at his friends again who were staring at him... "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Uh..." Cye scratched his nose. Ryo looked away fiddling his thumbs. Kento looked like the only one who was going to say something. He looked back and forth between Ryo and Cye before exploding, "What the hell were you and Sage doing all cuddled up in bed together?"

Rowen didn't so much as blink, "He had a nightmare, and I comforted him. He slept the entire night."

"He did?" Cye's face broke into a wide beam. "That's wonderful! Is he still asleep? I'll have to set some breakfast aside for him. He's bound to be hungry." He stopped talking at the look on Rowen's face. "What's wrong?"

"He doesn't remember what happened yesterday," Rowen said biting into his toast, "and I'd appreciate if none of you bring it up."

"Rowen, he tried to...to kill himself. We can't ignore that!" Ryo objected. 

"I'm not asking you to," Rowen said calmly. "But he's so fragile right now, and I don't want to push him. He's actually talking to me about what happened, and if someone starts hollering at him now I'm afraid he'll clam back up."

"What did he say?" Cye asked, his eyes wide, as he wrung his hands in excitement. "You actually got through to him then?"

"A little," Rowen shrugged. "He tells me bits and pieces of what happened in there... From all of the different fragments of thing he's said, I gather it was a real physical and mental hell in there. They did things to his body, and his mind simultaneously. That thing was telling him all sorts of crazy things, and showing him all sorts of wild images. He says there were other dark spirits in there too, that Shikaisen could have conjured...and he said the souls of the dead, the ones taken by Halo... he said they accuse him in his dreams. It's why he won't sleep."

"If Shikaisen wasn't already toast..." Kento uttered cracking his knuckles angrily."So what do we do for Blondie? I mean, we can tell him it's not his fault until we're all blue in the face...but that's not going to help him."

"I don't know if there's anything we can say that can help him," Rowen sighed.

"But we can be here for him, just like you were there for him last night Rowen. You said he slept in your arms, and spoke more freely than ever just because you were close. We make him feel loved and safe, and maybe he'll come back to us," Cye said firmly, gathering a few soiled breakfast dishes to put in the sink. 

"And if he leaves the house, we make sure it's with one of us?" Ryo suggested, looking pleased when Cye nodded his approval.

"So our plan is to smother Blondie until he can't stand anymore and has to admit that we love him, so he can breathe?" Kento licked his plate, and glared at Cye when he smacked him and took it from him.

"Sounds great to me, Kento," Rowen patted Kento's back. He fixed himself a simple plate of eggs and bacon. "I'm going to eat this upstairs with Dreamer, don't wanna leave him alone for too long..."

"Um, how long before you think he might wanna see the rest of us?" 

Rowen blinked, "If you leave that to him, he'll never see you. Just come in when you feel ready. Find something nice, and away from the subject of hm trying to impale himself the other night on his sword, and you got a winning subject."

Kento, Cye, and Ryo looked at him blankly as he grinned innocently, and made his way up the stairs, "See you guys later."

  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~~*~

  
  
  
  


"Sage...your Mom is gonna get really suspicious if you don't start returning her phone calls," Cye said softly. He held a cordless phone at his side dejectedly, Mrs. Dr. Date had been calling to speak to her son for 3 days. Cye feared the woman would be jumping into the expensive luxury car she was bound to have, and driving out to see about him soon. How would they explain Sage to her then? Or perhaps he would put on his "perfect" mask, and hide from her, fooling yet another person into thinking he was fine. 

"Tell her I'm sleeping," was the reply. At least he had answered that time. They were making a little progress. They were taking tiny steps in the right direction. The others, besides Rowen, were beginning to see more of him around the house. He would go downstairs in the afternoons with Rowen, and sit picking at the food Cye put in front of him while Rowen wolfed down his brunch. Then sometimes they would see him again in the evenings after they'd all had their dinner. He would slip into the kitchen and let Cye make him a plate of whatever he wanted. Cye would start a new meal from scratch just to tempt the blond's appetite. He was getting so thin. 

None of his clothes fit him neatly anymore, they were all too large and baggy. His hair was getting longer, and he used it to further obscure his face so he didn't have to look at anybody. 

"Alright Sage, but this is the last time I will lie to her for you. If she calls again, I'm going to tell her you're avoiding her!" Cye shouted through the door, hoping he'd made his voice sound threatening enough. He was never good at scaring people into doing what they should. He knocked on the door one last time, before opening it and peering in. The blond lie flat on his back on his bed staring blindly up at the ceiling. He didn't look at Cye, though he knew he was there, and Cye let out a deep suspiration and shut the door. He took the phone off hold, "Hello, Dr. Date…he's resting right now. No, no he hasn't been feeling well. Yes…I will, goodbye." 

Well, he hadn't exactly lied, Sage was not feeling well, it just wasn't a physical ailment like he'd led her to believe. As he headed for the stairs he met Rowen coming up with a bag of potato chips, "He didn't take the phone?"

"No," Cye shook his head. 

"You look in on him?"

"He's on the bed, as usual, staring at the ceiling."

"I'll see if I can bring him down for dinner with me tonight," Rowen offered Cye a chip. The auburn haired teen declined, and brushed passed him to go down the stairs himself, wondering what he should make for dinner that night.

  
  
  
  


~*~~*~

  
  


"What are you thinking about, Dreamer?" Rowen asked the blond, as he thumbed through the pages of Lord Of The Rings. He'd read it so many times, he had his favorite parts memorized. His eyes were scanning the battle for Helm's Deep. 

"Nothing."

He blinked, erasing the images of Legolas and Gimli tallying up their dead in contest, and looked to Sage. He was on his side, back to him. Anyone else might have thought he was sleeping, but through the web Rowen could sense his restlessness. It was comforting that Sage had let himself become part of the web once more, that way at least his friends could feel that he was close by in case another incident occurred. "You're never thinking about nothing. What's on your mind?"

"I told you."

Frowning, Rowen closed his book and slid off of his bed to join Sage. He laid down next to him on his back, and tucked his arms behind his head, "Well then, I'll just lie here and think of nothing with you."

"Get off, Rowen."

"Not until you tell me what's going on behind those big grey eyes."

"I told you..."

"Yup, you did. Now shut up, I'm trying not to think."

"You're invading my space."

"You didn't say that last night when you got in my bed."

"I was cold."

"Sure you were," Rowen smirked. "Well I'm cold now. Your turn to keep me warm."

Sage did something equivalent to a huff, and Rowen began to chuckle. "I'm scared to talk to my parents Rowen. My mom always sees right through me... I'm afraid, I don't want them to know how... how..."

"Sage, you can't tell them fully about what happened, remember? You don't have to tell them the bad parts with the armor... You just, if you want to, and only if, tell them you were taken against your will. They know something happened...they know it was bad, and they'd like to talk with you, for real. They don't want to hear you sounding like some recorded message telling them everything is fine. It's not."

"But then...they'll know I was weak. I let myself be fooled, and I let myself be taken. My father...my grandfather, they'll be so...so shamed by me. I'm the heir of the clan, I'm supposed to be respectable. Who can respect a fouled, dirty, weak toy. That's what I was...I was played with like a toy."

"They won't think that, Sage. They are your family."

"I know...which is why I fear them. If they reject me, then who...who will I have?" He trembled, and scooted back against Rowen's warmth. Rowen turned slightly so the boy would be against his chest, as they slept at night. He rested his chin in his tangled blond hair, inhaling the soapy scent... he wasn't using the expensive shampoo and conditioner anymore. He used harsh, abrasive soaps. He still scrubbed until he bled, and came limping into the room with a robe pulled tightly around his body. He changed in the darkness of the closet where Rowen couldn't see the damage...but he always saw the towels afterwards when he did their laundry, stained with dried blood. 

"You'll have me, and Cye, and Ryo, and Kento, and Mia, and Yulie....even White Blaze. You'll always have a family, Sage. But your primary family, they'll never reject you. You're their angel, they revere you."

"They do not."

"They do," Rowen insisted. "When you're home, everything centers around you. I've seen it. I'm surprised they let you live here. I know how long it took you to get them to agree to let you come with us."

Sage trembled harder, "I want them, I want my mom so much... but... I'm just so scared. I can't talk to her, because I know she'll come. She'll hear my voice, and know something's wrong. I couldn't deal with it, if she was disappointed in me, ashamed of me... I'd kill myself, I'd really do it. You wouldn't be able to stop me. I'll get far, far away from you, and do it."

Rowen's eyes widened with shock ad panic, "Sage, no! We're past this, we've moved past this! You're not killing yourself for anything, you got me? You promise me right now!" He wrapped his arms around the blond and gripped him tightly, crushingly. "Dreamer?"

"I can't promise anyone that..." Sage wheezed painfully. "Let me go, it hurts."

"Not until you promise."

"I can't," Sage rasped, "I can't!"

Rowen let out a frustrated wail, before letting go. His own arms had been starting to ache from the tight hold. Sage panted, and rolled away from Rowen's body, "I can't make promises I'm not sure I'll be able to keep. Do not make a liar of me, Rowen."

Rowen didn't respond to that. He lie still, staring at the frail shell of his best friend so close to him, but yet so far from his reach. It was like space travel, they could launch the shuttle from the Earth, and just touch upon the vastness of space, but they couldn't break through the Earth's gravitational field to go much further than their own blue planet. He could only get so close to Sage, close enough to get excited about his accomplishment, before he was restricted by gravity to only be allowed to take in depth pictures, but never to explore. 

There was a knock at the door, and Kento's head poked in, "Dinner guys."

"Alright, we'll be down in a bit."

The door closed, and Rowen sat up, "I'm going to go down to dinner, you coming with me this time?"

"I had breakfast with you."

Rowen sighed, "Will you go down later then, to eat?"

"Not tonight. I don't feel very well."

"Fine. I'll bring something up for you then." He ran a hand through his hair to bring order to it, before getting off the bed and heading for the door. He left the room without looking back. He was tired of viewing intangible things.

"Kento, I haven't had anything at all yet, can you wait to have seconds?" Rowen demanded, wiping the fuzz from his eyes and glaring at Kento refilling his plate. 

"Dude, you should get down here earlier..." Kento frowned and looked at the kitchen wall clock, "Hey, it's 10:30, what the hell are you doing up? You ok, man?"

Rowen rolled his eyes, "Sage is cleaning... He got up at 5 this morning, and started reorganizing EVERYTHING, even MY stuff! He's vacuuming now. Nothing's clean enough for him."

"Tell him to get Cye and me's room next, I got stuff growing under the bed, and my favorite ball rolled under there. I'm afraid to reach in and get it!"Kento began scarfing down his second breakfast ignoring the glares he got from the rest.

"His mother called again really early this morning, around 5:30... what time do they wake up in that house, to think that is a normal time to call?" Mia complained. She was working on her third cup of coffee.

"Late night, Mia?" Ryo chuckled at the woman. Mia shot him a dirty glare through her shaggy brown bangs. 

"Yes, for you information. I had to read 65 papers on Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls. I hate that book now, and will be redoing my lesson plan for next term to take the book out."

"Lucky them, I think we're going to have to read it this semester," Cye said glumly.

"I've already read it. It's a good book," Rowen shrugged with a large yawn.

"What haven't you read?"

"Good question."

Rowen filled his plate, and sat down beside Cye to eat. "So what did you tell Dr. Date?"

"That he was in bed..."

"Wrong thing to say, that whole family is up at 5:00 every morning. She already knows something's wrong, you just set off the fire alarm," Rowen said.

"I should call her, talk to her for real. I was just so tired this morning," Mia looked guilty. "I'll call her after I have another cup of coffee."

"Are you even putting sweetner in that stuff?" Kento asked, gazing curiously at Mia, mouth full of food. 

"And dilute the caffeine?"

"Sugar doesn't dilute caffeine," Rowen uttered, as he slurped at his own cup of black coffee. "I think I need to eat this stuff right out of the pouch, it's just not strong enough when there's water in it."

"That is so gross."

"You know they have candy that's just coffee beans wrapped in milk chocolate."

"Gross!" Kento moaned. "Even I wouldn't eat those."

"They're delicious!" Rowen insisted. 

They ate their breakfast making pleasant conversation. The sun was out and shone in through the unveiled windows, predicting a beautiful to day to celebrate. "We should go somewhere today, guys."

"Where?" Ryo looked at Kento, interest brewing in his eyes.

"The park, the mall, the arcade, somewhere. It's time to get out of the house. Hey, maybe we could go swimming or something at the lake."

"Sounds nice," Cye said with a nod. "Maybe Sage will come with us. Go and ask him Rowen, he listens to you."

Rowen snorted, and continued sipping his coffee. "He won't go."

"But maybe you can..."

"If we take him, he'll sit in the car."

"We could rent videos then. We'll go out to the shopping strip, and get some ice cream, the videos, and come home. He can't object too much to that. I know he wants to go outside and feel that sunlight," Kento suggested.

Rowen shook his head, "He won't even let me open the curtains in our room. When he comes down here, he sits in the shadows if he can't pull the blind."

"When the hell is he gonna snap out of this! I'm not hanging around this house all day, and night babysitting Blondie! Nobody hates him, geez! Why couldn't that freak Shikaisen have taken me? I don't care about honor and shame and crap. After you guys let me know you didn't hate me for it..."

"It's not just us, he's afraid of us his family."

"Families love you regardless."

"He has nightmares about the people who died."

"Oh..." Kento frowned, "now that's a problem."

Rowen sighed, "He's been sleeping in my bed every night since he tried to...well you know. He goes to bed in his own bed, wakes up in cold sweats, then climbs in with me for rest of the night."

"He's been a looking more rested," Cye commented. 

"He's averaging about 3 or 4 good hours a night."

"As opposed to none at all, that's good," Ryo said. He looked up at the ceiling as a large crash came from above their heads.

"He's trying to get behind the bookcases now," Rowen rolled his eyes. 

"He's going to overwork himself," Cye stood. "I'll see if I can stop him, since Rowen seems to object to talking to him today."

Rowen didn't look up from the coffee cup he was refilling. Cye grunted, and marched toward the stairs, stopping short as he gazed out of the window, "Guys, who do we know that drives a black BMW? They're pulling into the driveway."

"Black beamer?" Rowen stood up bumping the table and spilling his coffee. 

"Hey watch it!" Kento snapped, barely saving his toast from being drenched with the caffeinated mess. Rowen sneered and stumbled to the window to see, "Oh shit... that looks like Dr. Vi's car..."

Two women emerged from the driver's and passenger's side of the car. "Oh man..."

"Who is that?" Cye frowned, and Kento, Ryo and Mia joined them in the window. "They have blond hair...like....is that Sage's mother? And who's the other with him, one of his sisters?"

Rowen looked at the group, that was right. He was the only one who'd been to Sage's house and met his family. "That's Yayoi, Satsuki has black hair."

The doorbell rang, "I'd better let them in," Rowen rushed to the door. 

"But Rowen..." he was still in his ratty t-shirt and shorts he'd slept in, his hair saluting North, South, East, and West. 

"They've seen it!" Rowen shot back, as he jogged to the door. Mia wrung her hands, "I'd better go out too. Dr. Date might want to meet me. Oh my, what do we tell her about Sage...?" She hurried after Rowen.

  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~~*~

"Dr. Vi, Yayoi!" Rowen exclaimed as he threw open the front door and rushed to meet the blond women. He went to the older one first, embracing her as if she was his own mother. The woman smiled warmly at him and attempted to smooth his hair, "Just getting up Rowen?"

"Yeah," Rowen muttered shyly. He looked at Yayoi, "Hey."

"Hey yourself, where's my brother?"

"Upstairs, he's cleaning our room," Rowen said, not flinching at the harsh greeting he'd received from the younger blond woman. Yayoi was never known for being sweet, and punctual. She was a straight-to-the-point, no nonsense bitch, who ate men who couldn't hold up their end of a political conversation for lunch. She stared at him with hard grey eyes, so unlike Sage's. Though they were the same color and shape, her eyes held no languor. "Well, I hope he's dressed."

"Hello there!" came Mia's kind voice, and all turned to see her. "You have to be Sage's mother, and sister."

"Yes," Dr. Date moved toward Mia to shake her hand, "I'm Vivian Date, you must be Mia Koji."

"Yes, you can call me Mia, all the boys do."

"And you may call me Vivian," Dr. Date said, "and this is my daughter Yayoi. Its very nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry to wake you up so early this morning. We sometimes forget the rest of the world likes to sleep a lot later than we do. I'm here to see my son. Is he...?"

"He's in his room, Vivian, come inside won't you?"

Dr. Date, followed Yayoi, and Rowen followed Mia inside the house. "He just hasn't been returning my phone calls, and that isn't like him. He sounded so... strange, when he returned from New York. What happened Mia, really? Did something...?"

Mia frowned, "Let me offer you a cup of coffee in the living room, we can talk there."

Dr. Date nodded gravely, her grey eyes full of worry. She followed Mia into the kitchen where she was introduced to the rest to Cye, Kento, and Ryo. A few minutes later, Cye, Kento, and Ryo scattered into the foyer to break the uncomfortable silence between Yayoi and Rowen. 

"You have to be Sage's sister," Kento beamed at her, admiring her figure.

Yayoi glared spitefully, and looked toward the stairs, "My brother's up there?"

"Yeah," Rowen said, "but..." the blond woman was already storming to the stairs and taking them by two. 

"H..h...hottie!" Kento whooped. "Geez, but her ice glares are better than Sage's... he needs to take lessons from her. I'm still thawing, but she can freeze me any time!" 

"Shut up you pig!" Cye snapped, smacking Kento, "She can't go up there! Who knows how Sage will react to her? From the stories I've heard, she isn't very pleasant."

"She's not..." Rowen muttered, jogging for the stairs two and bounding up after Yayoi's vanished form.

"Oh man... why do I suddenly think our plans to get ice cream and videos are cancelled?" Kento groaned.

Ryo ruffled Kento's ash hair, "Come on Big Boy, I think we might be needed for damage control."

The remaining three headed for the stairs quickening their pace at the sound of splintering wood.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note: I hope you guys liked this one. The next one won't take half as long, I promise lol. Please review!**


	8. Episode 7

**Author's Note: Ok, ok, so its finally up. This is Episode 7, and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, and I am so sorry for the wait. I just have too many other writing projects plus school going on at once. I'll try not to take as long for the next update. I really want to get this story finished so I can put it on a shelf lol, and concentrate on other works :) Take care, I hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to REVIEW :)**  
  
  
  
  
Episode 7

  
  


"Sage you open this door right now!" Yayoi yelled forcefully. Rowen stood back with a grimace on his face at the shrillness of her tone. "Hey Sage, unlock the door buddy," Rowen called after Yayoi to try to give the request more appeal. 

"Seiji Date, right now! Or I'm gonna bust this door in!"

"Yayoi, you can't..." we've already broken one of Mia's doors this week, she'll kick us out if we make a habit of it. Or worse, start charging us rent! "Ya..."

"You give me no choice!" She pushed Rowen out of the way, she had surprising strength for someone who looked so refined and delicate. She kicked the door in with her sneaker encased foot, and didn't flinch at the groan of the wood breaking beneath her heel. The door sprang open, and Yayoi stalked into the room like a panther looking for prey. "Oh no you don't!" She broke into a run, and Rowen stepped into the room to see what Yayoi was chasing. Sage was halfway out of the window, with plans to no doubt climb over the balcony and shimmy down the drain pipe that ran from roof to backyard. He and Rowen had done it often enough to know that it was completely safe.

Rowen cringed as Yayoi snagged him by the collar of his t-shirt, and dragged him back in through the window. Sage yelped and squirmed in her painful hold. She threw him down on the floor before her and glared at him, "You look a perfect mess. Explain yourself."

Sage pulled his knees into his chest and dropped his head down onto them refusing to look at his older sister, "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"Oh you don't?" Yayoi got down on her knees in front of him, grabbing his head and forcing him to look at her. "Now you do, you little brat. You've been worrying the family half to death at home, Fairy Child, and Mother and I have driven a long way for you to hide behind your damn hair, and tell us what we can, and can't do!" Yayoi was growling in disgust, she tangled her fingers in his messy hair, "You need a hair cut. When's the last time you combed this mess? And what in the world do you have on? You look like...like, him!" Yayoi tossed her head back to glare at Rowen. "I know you, Fairy Child, I know you well enough to not automatically assume you're doing drugs. What's going on here?"

"Nothing Yayoi, and you're right, I'm not doing drugs. I'm fine! Now go away!"

Sage tried to pull away from her, but she kept her grip on his chin firm. 

"No way Fairy Child," she grunted as she stood and fought to drag him to his feet. "From what I can see you aren't eating enough, you're skinnier than Blue Boy over there, and you're not getting enough sleep, you've got bags under your eyes darker than Satsuki's hair." Once she had him standing, he immediately tried to turn away from her. He was stopped and held by the shoulders. Then without a word his sister stared at the bare skin of his arms left uncovered by the black t-shirt, "What happened to your arms?"

"Yayoi leave me alone!"

"Is there more than just this...do I have to pull your shirt off, your pants? Don't get bashful now, Little Brother, I've seen it all. Well?"

"Gods!" Sage tried to pull away from her.

"Hey, what happened in here?" Ryo, Kento, and Cye entered eyeing the broken door warily. Mia was going to evict them... Cye made a small noise, drawing their attention to Yayoi grappling with Sage, as Rowen stood by and watched. 

Sage's shirt came up over his head revealing his back, the pale skin marred by large angry red blotches. The girl held the shirt over the struggling boy's head, ignoring his protests. She yanked the shirt back down roughly and glared at him, "Explain, Seiji."

"No!"

"Don't make me slap you!" Yayoi erupted, shaking her brother, not softening at the tears falling from his eyes and staining his face. "Did someone do this to you, or did you do this to yourself?"

Sage sniffled, and tried to look away from her.

"You did it to yourself. Why?"

"Please..."

Her grey eyes narrowed evilly, and they darted about the room sizing up each boy that wavered near them threatening to break her hold on Sage. A match had been struck inside her at seeing the way her brother cowered and hid himself from her, it was dropped into kindling when she saw the damage he'd done to himself, and was now a raging inferno at his tears... "Who....touched...you?" The words were short and clipped, dripping with acid. "Who...dared...to...touch...you?"

"No..."

"Who?" She pulled him to her, "Was it one of them? I'll kill them..."

"No, it wasn't, they saved me.... oh gods, please..."

"Who...was...it? And be very careful of who you accuse, because Big Sister's going to kill them in cold blood. I don't wish to go to prison for a mistake. Nobody touches you, or Satsuki....no one. Now you tell me who did this!"

"Dead...he's dead..."

"He?" Fire was in her eyes, making them shimmer like hot brimstone in depths of Hell. 

"You wouldn't understand..."

"He touched you, I understand. How did he die?"

"We killed him," Rowen answered her question lightly from behind her, he stood leaning against the wall nearest to the closet with his arms folded over his chest. "It happened in New York, that time he was gone. He was kidnaped, we found him, and killed the guy who did it." 

"No mention of this was made to the family...you said..."

"Sage didn't want us to tell."

"Why?" Yayoi's eyes never left her brother's. "Why did you keep this from us? Why didn't you come home?"

"B...Because..."

"What?"

"Gods I let them... I was stupid, and I let them trick me...and then I.....I broke, and I was weak....and then...then... Gods, I'm so dirty. I don't want to contaminate anyone else. Father and Grandfather would be so ashamed of me... and hate me, and.."

"Shut up you little idiot!" Yayoi rolled her eyes heavenward and brought the boy to her chest guiding his head to her shoulder, "You're so stupid Little Fairy. No one in that house could ever hate you. You could become a serial killer, and they'd find a way to defend you of your crazy crimes. They worship the ground you walk on there. You can always, always, come home. Always."

"But..." 

"Screw honor and pride, dignity and respect. Screw weak and strong, innocence and guilt Sage. This isn't about that, it's about family, and love. How could you ever think someone else putting their filthy hands on you and taking advantage of you could ever be your fault? It's not your fault you're pure and gentle, with a light in you that draws others. It's not your fault you're beautiful. You can't be ashamed of what you cannot control and what you cannot undo. The only fault in this matter lies with the one who rots in Hell now."

"You're not embarrassed?"

"That you're sniveling like a child? A little perhaps, but if it helps you... go ahead."

~*~~*~~*~

Cye blinked, Yayoi was no mother hen, but she could take care of business when it came to her family...her brother in particular. Her words were harsh, the comfort in her arms she offered seemed stiff and awkward, but Sage relaxed against her, and... he cried. He cried long and hard, squeezing her tight. 

Gods, it's what he needed. He needed to release, he had been holding on to so much. Cye felt the weights slowly being lifted off of Sage's chest at the blind acceptance from his family. "Should we leave them alone?"

Ryo nodded, tugging at Kento's sleeve to get him moving, and shooting a glance to Rowen. Rowen slowly made his way over, and they left the room together. They lingered just long enough to see Yayoi going down with Sage as he crumpled to his knees, the harsh sobs wracking his body too much for him to keep his balance.   


"...should just take him home," Dr. Date was saying as Rowen, Ryo, Kento, and Cye reentered the kitchen. "I should have come out sooner, I knew something was wrong."

"He is coming around..."

"I just don't understand...no wait, I do understand." The conversation stopped and both women looked up to see the intruders. 

"Where are Yayoi and Sage?" Dr. Date asked, peering around them. "That noise from upstairs?"

"Yayoi kicking in a door," Rowen supplied dryly.

"Are they arguing?"

"No... they need a little time alone," Rowen said. 

"Rowen...why didn't you call me?" 

Rowen wanted hide his face for shame as the blond woman stared at him, her grey eyes questing for an answer from him. What could he have said that could have made her feel better? No Dr. Vi, Sage doesn't hate you...only himself. Your son got raped by demons, and he tried to kill himself with a mystical sword, but don't worry he's fine now. Oh yeah, he could see that going over real well in the Date household. If he'd said any of that he'd have Grandfather Date and Mr. Date staring down his throat too, but at least they didn't have those chilling grey eyes. "Uh....I'm sorry Dr. Vi, he didn't want...we thought.... we were helping him. He's getting better."

"Why didn't you tell me what happened? I think I have a right to know if my son's been kidnaped. Where the authorities called, are there police reports? I let my son stay here, but that doesn't cut his family out of his life, and give you complete control!" Dr Date stood up, her face flushed and her grey eyes blazing with righteous anger. 

"Go up there right now, and tell Yayoi to help Sage pack his things. We'll leave as soon as he has what he cannot part with."

"But Vi..."

"Dr. Date," Dr. Date said cooly to Mia who'd tried to intercede on their behalf.

"Dr. Date, it wouldn't be a good idea to take him away from his friends right now. He's.."

"...my son, and it's time he came home. Rowen, go and tell them. They have 15 minutes. I'd like to get back home before my husband is through giving his classes for the day."

"Dr. Date, you're making a mistake," Ryo sputtered.

"My only mistake was not coming to get him sooner. I'll be in the car. Good day."

They watched the blond woman stalk out of the room her purse swishing at her side. 

"Sage can't tell them what really happened to him. He'll end up putting on another happy show like he did in that hospital," Kento groaned.

"Just when we were finally getting somewhere," Cye breathed sadly.

"I'll go and tell Sage and Yayoi..." Rowen said walking away from the somber group looking dazed.

"Guys?" Ryo was blinking. The circle of warriors was about to be broken again, just when it had been repaired. 

What would being separated do to Sage?

"What do we do now? We can't fight this one... She's his mom."

In the faces of monsters and malevolent nether-spirits they were fierce and undefeated, but in the face of a 5'6 blond American woman they trembled and stood poised to lose. 

"Guys," Ryo said again, this time not wanting to get their attention to ask a question, but to make a statement.

"Yeah?"

"This really sucks."

"And the title 'Master of Stating the Obvious' goes to...Ryo Sanada!" Kento boomed in a fake radio announcer's voice. 

"We should follow Rowen," Cye said softly. "He shouldn't have to tell Sage he has to leave alone."

"Um...guys?"

"What Ryo?" Cye rolled his eyes, "Are you going to add that this 'really, REALLY, sucks?"

"No," Ryo snapped, then sobered. "If Sage tries something stupid again, who'll be there to know how to find him? And who will stop him? We had to use the armors, his family won't have that."

Cye and Kento were quiet.

"Lets just hope no one will have to answer that one, buddy," Kento resolved finally. "That's one multiple choice question I never want to see on a test because there's no way to study for it."

They went upstairs then to catch up to Rowen so they could tell Sage as a group that he had to leave them.  
  
  
  


**Author's note: Yes I know it's short...once again I'm sorry. I could have made it longer, but people were getting impatient lol, so I decided to just sum up what I had and to make up for it in the next Episode :) Well...what did you think, other than it was too brief lol? Please review, oh and I have a new web page up devoted to my anime fiction. All of my stories aren't up there quite yet, I'm still working...but it will be a more reliable place than ff.net to read updates. We all know how frustrating this place can be lol. Well, take care!**


	9. Episode 8

Author's Note: You can thank Bunches and Summy for this, but I've finally finished it! Hope it doesn't seem rushed, but I wanted to close this story, so I can stop feeling so guilty about moving on to other projects. Thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed this story :) and I hope you enjoy the end.

Episode 8  
  
  
  


Sage had forgotten how soft his sister could be when used as a pillow. It had been so long since she'd offered herself to him in that way. Yayoi wasn't the kindest or even the nicest sister he couldn't have asked for, but he wouldn't have traded her for all the world. He sighed softly, inhaling her clean scent and reveling in her soft fingers stroking his hair. She was warm and her presence radiated calm and safety. Nothing could hurt him as long as her arms were around him. Yayoi had always been there to protect him against boogie men and evil monsters in his closet, when he was smaller. 

She should have gone with him to America, he realized. There had been two tickets, but something had come up with a school project and Sage had gone alone. If Yayoi had been there, would Shikaisen have gotten him? He frowned into his sister's shoulder. He didn't know. He might have... or he might have gotten Yayoi too. Both of them would have been dragged into hell together, and for trying to protect him, Yayoi might have...

He cringed and tightened his arms around her back.

"What's wrong now?" Yayoi asked him in her usual dry tone.

"N... nothing," he stammered. 

"Sage..." she sounded irritated, and he titled his face up to see her staring down at him, her grey eyes searching his analytically. 

"It's just..."

"Did something else happen that you need to tell me?" Yayoi pressed.

Sage shook his head, feeling the sting of tears threatening to build again. He tried blink them away, but to no avail. If his sister had gone with him to New York like she had planned to... she might have... She might not be... He shivered violently and felt her strengthening her hold on him. "Yayoi..." with water standing in his eyes, he murmured, "I love you."

Burying his head in her shoulder again, he felt her body give an odd shudder. Once, twice.... there it was again, now with a familiar noise. He raised his head to see that his older sister.... was laughing at him. Why? Tears of love turned to tears of anger. He was bearing his soul to her! What right did she have to... His anger quickly mutated into confusion as lips met his forehead. 

"I love you too, little brother," Yayoi chuckled. "You're more trouble than you're worth at times, but for some odd reason I'm crazy about you."

Sage sighed deeply, breathing in what was Yayoi, blind love and acceptance and out... what he'd been holding in. His tears had washed away his inner guilt and self-hate, and he'd finally exhaled. He gasped softly as something inside him, something he'd been missing, was resurfacing. It stirred within him like a miniature storm, taking him by force. When she'd held him, when he cried, when he told her and she assured him it would be all right... something had reawakened. 

The light, the omniscient, benevolent, life-giving and sustaining avatar of perfection was blossoming within him again. He could see it once more without having to shield his eyes; he could touch it without burning his fingers. It was inviting him back into its presence, or rather he was inviting it back in. He leaned into it, allowing it to strengthen him, to heal him...

Slowly he removed himself from Yayoi's embrace and wiped at his eyes roughly with the palms of his hands. 

"You'll need a box of tissue too; even you can't make the aftermath of crying look pretty," Yayoi tousled his hair playfully. 

Sage gave her a weak grin and rose stiffly from the floor, using the bed behind him as support. He offered a hand down to his sister after he was fully successful in righting himself. Yayoi accepted it. "Mom's downstairs. I suggest you change and comb that hair of yours too, before you go down to see her."

Sage nodded. His mother was waiting for him. Gods, what was he going to say to her? How would she react to his story? It wasn't the complete truth, but as long as it was expressed that a violation of his person had occurred, it was good. She wouldn't hate him; she wouldn't be disappointed in him. Yayoi had assured him of that. But... His mother had always been so sensitive when it came to him; it was going to break her heart...

But somehow it would be ok. He would be ok.

"Do you want me to pick something out for you, while you clean up?" Yayoi asked him gently. As if she knew what was on his mind and didn't want to disturb him. 

Sage nodded again, slowly. "I..."

"Don't worry about it," Yayoi gave him a little shove towards the broken door. Sage began to walk slowly toward it, careful to avoid the long strips of splintered wood. Mia was not going to be happy. Sage would have to offer to pay for it. He stepped through the door frame and into the hall. He paused when he heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to meet whoever was approaching him.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"Sage!" Rowen saw his friend standing in the hallway apparently waiting for them. The sunlight streaming in from the picture windows bathed Sage its glory, endowing him with its ethereal qualities. His face was calm and collected, his eyes clear and free of the clouds that had haunted him ever since they had gotten him back. Rowen sped his climb and jumped up the last three stairs. He was to his friend in less than two strides. "You look... better."

Sage's lips turned up into a slight smile. "I am."

Rowen grinned and couldn't help but pull the other boy into a hug. "Who would have though that all you needed was Yayoi to knock some sense that pretty blond head of yours." 

Sage was a little stiff in his embrace at first, but slowly leaned into it. "I'm sorry," he whispered lightly, his breath stirring Rowen's hair.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Rowen patted his back. He released Sage as he heard the others clambering up the stairs behind him. 

"Did you tell him already?" Kento asked, frowning at the interchange between the two. 

"Tell me what?" Sage questioned. Rowen had to restrain himself from pummeling Kento, that dumbass. 

Ryo and Cye slowly approached, both cocking their heads at the change they noticed in Sage's demeanor. 

"Your mom wants you to go home with her," Rowen said softly. "You have to leave."

Rowen didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't what he got. Sage went still at the statement and his eyes went through various stages of emotion, shifting from petrified, to worrisome, then to resolution. He nodded after a moment ad said, "I'm going to wash my face and change my clothes. Tell her I'll be down in a few moments."

Smiling strangely, Sage turned and walked away, light still hugging him like a new pair of leather pants that hadn't been broken in yet. 

"Dude... is it just me, or..." Kento began, staring after Sage as he disappeared into the bathroom.

"It's not just you," Cye interrupted.

"He's ok," Rowen said softly. He had no idea how or when exactly it had happened, but his Dreamer was back. No words needed to have really been spoke for Rowen and the others to sense the change from within. The light said it all.

"All he needed was to cry," Ryo said. "All this time, he never really and truly cried; he never got it out, until today."

"So he's gonna be ok? We're not gonna have to worry about him at home?" Kento was questioning. He gazed at the group, his eyes still tinted with slight worry. "I'm not about to forget that he tried to do himself in and almost got away with it."

Kento's eyes bounced from Ryo to Cye and then finally locked onto Rowen's. Rowen would know...

Rowen blinked as he realized all of them were staring at him and he swallowed. How could he know what was going on inside of Sage's head. He was better; they all could see that. Hope shone from his eyes... but when he was alone in his family's home, in the darkness of his bedroom, would his light once again be enough to cut through it? That Rowen didn't know. His friend had fought a hard battle on his own, on the inside, with no allies that could reach him, but himself. He had to be the one to open the door, let the light back in, and accept help, hear the voices of those that loved him. He was weak, wounded, battle-weary and in need of care. Someone had to be there to nurse him back to full health...someone who knew the story.

Rowen shut his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them. "He'll be fine... because we're going to go with him."

He braced himself for impact.

"What?" Kento asked after a beat as Ryo and Cye continued to stare at him.

"We're going home with him," Rowen said with a shrug. "He needs us. After Tulpa, we stuck together and helped each other get better. Well, why should this be any different?"

"But... How do we explain to Dr. Date...?"

"Let me handle that," Rowen waved a hand in dismissal. "Right now, we need to pack."

Cye and Kento looked to Ryo, the leader, but Ryo was still staring at Rowen. "Are you sure we'll be welcome?"

Somehow Rowen knew Ryo wasn't asking if they would welcome at the Date's...

Rowen smirked, "We'll make ourselves welcome."

Ryo chuckled. "Well... I hope they have cable..."

"They don't," Rowen chimed, "but there's plenty of chores to do!"

"Damn."  
  


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

As it turned out, there were too many of them to fit in Dr. Date's car, so Mia had let them borrow her jeep. She would rent another car from town until they brought it back. Ryo drove and Kento sat next to him in the passenger seat, while Rowen and Cye sat in back with Sage in the middle. The blond slept peacefully, leaning against Rowen's shoulder with a tiny smile on his lips.

Dr. Date had been reluctant to let go of him after Sage had told her his story and had been more than happy to grant Ryo, Rowen, Kento, and Cye admission to her house for the next 2 weeks. Sage would undoubtably stay on longer after they left, maybe even start school again in his hometown. 

He seemed eager to get home. Ryo followed the black car in front of them carefully. No one had asked Sage just what Yayoi had said to him or what he had told her when they had been alone, but whatever it was, Ryo was glad that it had happened, that it had broken whatever was keeping Sage's feelings locked inside, only letting minuscule amounts of them escape through small cracks. He would have gone insane... 

When they'd asked Sage if he wanted them to come with him, he'd been surprised, but had nodded his head vigorously. The floodgates had finally been opened and he had a lot he wanted to tell them too, it seemed. They had appeared in the living room, packed and ready to go, all together. Mia and Dr. Date had blinked; Yayoi was the only one who had been expecting it. She'd grumbled about them packing like girls and taking too damn long. Then she'd informed them that everyone wasn't going to fit into her mother's tiny car.

Plans were made then for them all to go and stay. 

"Man, two weeks with no cable," Kento was groaning, unbuckling his seat belt and slouching in his chair. "What the hell are we gonna do for all that time?"

"Wake up before the sun and run sprints?" Rowen suggested with an evil grin, though he sounded a bit put out too.

"Work out in Sensei Date's dojo until our limbs fall off?" Cye suggested.

"Do chores for fun?" Ryo pitched in to their Ronin Warrior pity-fund.

They all sighed together. Their last, lazy days of summer would be spent slaving away. Geez...

The things you do.... 

For a friend. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

And I never thought I'd feel this way  
And as far as I'm concerned  
I'm glad I got the chance to say  
That I do believe I love you  
  
And if I should ever go away  
Well then close your eyes and try  
To feel the way we do today  
And then if you can remember  
  
Keep smiling, keep shining  
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure  
That's what friends are for  
For good times and bad times  
I'll be on your side forever more  
That's what friends are for  
  
Well you came in loving me  
And now there's so much more I see  
And so by the way I thank you  
  
Oh and then for the times when we're apart  
Well then close your eyes and know  
The words are coming from my heart  
And then if you can remember  


  
  
  


The End

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Author's Note: He, he, he, sorry for the song insert, but when I wrote the last part of the chapter all I could do was hum this song. Well, that's it for "For A Friend." I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think. Sorry about the wait; I hope it was worth it. Until next time... Take care!

Song: "That's What Friends Are For" by: Bacharach

Performed by: Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Dionne Warwick

  
  
  
  



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